The World Without
by mikey magee
Summary: Loki is gone, and all the nine realms are safe. But is a world without the Trickster really a place to live in? What happens when the peace they all wanted slowly turns on them, and the only one who can save them is the one who no longer is.
1. Chapter 1

How long had it been since Asgard had seen the likes of the trickster? After his failed siege on Midgard, he was brought to the All-father for his punishment. His hair hiding his face like a hood, but even then the All-father could still recognize his son. Loki was sentenced to imprisonment in the darkest dungeons.

But somehow…he escaped.

Everyone in Asgard was in a panic. They all expected the worse. Frost Giants storming the city capital wicked magic pounding at the walls of the All-father's palace, or creatures of unimaginable stature power.

But none of that came. In fact…nothing came at all. Thor returned to Midgard to warn its champions of Loki's inevitable return, but still no sign of the trickster. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years and longer still.

No Loki.

Heimdall searched the nine-realms for any sign of the rogue trickster, but he was nowhere to be found.

Some believed him dead; others believed him to be simply in hiding. Still without the trickster to sew his deceit, the realms settled on a strange peace; a peace that enveloped them…and threatened them all.

"Fury, I don't know why you keep bringing us here. Reindeer Games is gone, just like Thor said." Tony Stark leaned back against his chair. After Thor gained word of Loki's escape he returned to Midgard to ready the Avengers. All of S.H.I.E.L.D. was ready for round two, Fury saw to that but as the years went by, and everyone soon forgot about Loki. Black Widow was sent on other missions. Stark went back to stuffing dollar bills into pants. Rogers remained vigil, but even his patience wore thin.

"Stark, this isn't up for discussion. I want everyone on guard for when Loki decides to rear his stupid horned-head again, no matter how long it takes." Fury leaned against the table in front of him, even though his eye was concealed by his patch, Stark could still make out a determined gaze. Whatever it takes.

"What about Thor?" Steve asked, trying to point the discussion to better news. "Doesn't he have any info? I mean-"

"No," Fury said, "I've asked…no one knows where Loki is."

"Uh, I'm sorry, but why the fuck do we care where he is? Or what he's doing? If he's not around, isn't that a good thing?" Barton asked as he polished his arrow, ever since he heard of Loki's escape he had been on edge. His fingers itching to release an arrow into that pompous little shit's head.

"And what if he's planning something worse?" Natasha chimed in, moving a strand of her hair out of her vision. "I wouldn't put it past him."

"Either way Thor said he'd come back with news. Hopefully, it's something we can use. Fury turned his back and placed his hands behind them. "Until then you're all dismissed, but be alert."

It was a long trip back to the tower. Tony didn't want to admit this, in fact none of them did, but as the years went by things became…quiet. Not the kind of quiet that comes from an approaching storm, or the warning signs of a great attack.

Just quiet. For some reason, crime had hit a record low in New York City, and all over the world. Steve just thought it was due to the Avengers. Their presence might have scared off potential tyrants, but that wasn't it. No, that answer was far too convenient…too orderly.

"So, any ideas on what Loki could be up too?" Steve asked as the team left the docking bay.

"I think it might have something to do with flying monkeys." Tony joked. "Look…whatever he's doing we'll stop him. No worries."

It happened a few weeks after. Thor came in a storm of lightning and rain, his shoulders broad and strong, but his face withered.

The Avengers went out of the tower to meet him, each one waiting for news.

"Well Goldie Locks, what's the word on your brother?" Tony asked, he had pretty much given up on the thought of Loki coming back to Earth to attack…but it never hurt to be sure, right?

Thor's eyes gave way to fear, his brow furrowed and his back sagged. "T-there is a problem."

After Thor arrived they all made their way to the "war room", Tony's pet name for that big SHIELD-esque area that he used to use to get drunk in. After Steve and the others moved in, he refurbished the place to be a room for planning and strategizing. Yet, since crime had dropped so low he resumed using it for its original purpose…hence the empty beer cans littering the floor.

"There is no sign of my brother, but Odin, the All-father, has discovered a treachery far worse."

Clint leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"Surely you have felt it here on Midgard as well? The peace and order…or rather the absence of chaos."

"What do you mean Thor?" Steve asked.

"As of late, villainy and treachery has all but vanished, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," Tony chimed in, "So what? That's our doing. We're so awesome that we've scared any potential evil doers away."

"Nay, Man of Iron, unfortunately this is my brother's work."

Clint shot from his seat and reached for an arrow, he let his fingers brush against the fletching. "So he is planning something."

"Nay Archer. He's not planning anything. He's not doing anything, he's simply…not."

"Wait wait wait," Natasha said, finally speaking after observing for so long. "How can you know what he is or isn't doing if you haven't found him? I mean, isn't there a guy in Asgard that can see everything?"

"Yes, Lady Natasha, Heimdall has been searching the skies vigilantly for Loki, but he has used his trickery to hide himself from all sight, even Heimdall's. Even though we cannot find him, we can still feel his actions ripple across the dimensions."

Steve felt his hairs stand on edge, "What do you mean?"

"Loki is the God of lies and chaos, his actions, his schemes and plots bring about the balance of chaos which is felt throughout the nine realms. When we were children, his jokes brought about small forms of chaos on other realms. He is chaos, and he creates it for others as well."

Loki…the father of chaos, it made sense…in a strange way.

"So Loki's absence and lack of "chaos" has brought…wait." Tony sat up, "You're saying all of this peace and order is because Loki's decided not to play ball anymore? And this is a bad thing because?"

"The balance Man of Iron. There cannot be order if there is no chaos. The All-father has even begun to notice, the constant order is…" Thor trailed off, not sure what to say next. "It's affecting Asgard and all of the realms. Something is wrong, and Odin fears it may lead to dire consequences."

"Sorry, still not buyin' it." Tony said as he and the team walked into the kitchen. All of this Loki crap almost made him forget that he was starving…almost.

"Stark, this could be very serious" Romanov said. "Look, I'm not much of a philosopher, but we do need chaos otherwise-"

"Natasha relax. Look, if Reindeer Games decided to get a hobby and leave the universe alone, how is that a problem for us? Or anyone for that matter. Jarvis, order some pizza. I feel like celebrating"

"I've gotta agree with Tony on this one." Steve looked through the cabinet and pulled out a mug. "If Loki's gone AWOL it can only be a good thing."

"Right Capt., and how can we be sure this isn't just some Loki scheme anyway? I wouldn't put it past him."

"You're wrong, Man of Iron." Thor came thundering into the kitchen, his hammer at his side. "My brother is a lot of things, but this is something else altogether. No, not even he, as twisted as he has become, could imagine a world devoid of chaos…to him that would be like a world devoid of air."

"So then what made him stop?" Natasha sat down, and leaned against the counter top. Jesus, she was getting tired of this shit. She hadn't really had much action as of late, with crime being down, there was almost no need for someone with her particular skills and cunning, and she knew Barton was feeling this dry spell as well, even if he didn't admit it to anyone.

"Why. Should. We. Care?" Stark emphasized each word, as if he were dropping an anvil with every breath. They all turned to Thor, as if he held an answer for them. Really, why should they care? If Loki was some place far away where he could do no harm, then what was the problem? And if it meant crime would cease, how was that not a double win?

Thor heaved. "I did not want to burden your minds with this, but you have forced my hand. All is not well in Asgard, I felt it myself as I walked through its streets. There is order…but it looks more like tyranny."

What?

"All throughout my homeland everyone's spirits seem to have been crushed by this…never ending order. As if the very thing Loki stood against was oppressing all of us. And it's moving across all of the Nine Realms."

"What do you mean moving?" Tony asked, his eyes beginning to glaze over.

"The same thing has happened in Jotunheim and Nifelheim. Father fears this "order" is throwing everything out of balance, and may very well be the end of all things if it is not stopped."


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't make any sense. How could order destroy anything? How could peace be the undoing of an entire universe? Tony didn't want to believe something so…absurd, but that look in Thor's eyes made him swallow his disbelief, for the time being at least.

"Fine, let's put the 'end of the universe' talk away for now and focus on how to find this guy."

"Well Man of Iron, I had hoped that your science might help with discovering Loki's whereabouts."

Tony leaned back into his chair and interlocked his fingers behind his head. He knew SHILED had him working on some kind of device just in case Loki came back; hell Fury was right…almost. It was actually kind of brilliant, when Loki was last here he left some kind of energy signal that was, hopefully, distinct to only him.

Tony smirked. "I may have something, but there are still problems. Like the fact that it's still in the testing phases, oh, and that little thing about Loki needing to be on the planet for it to even begin to find him. I mean, if the guy's on like Mars we're SOL."

"It'll have to do for now." Natasha said as she pulled out here phone.

"Wa-wait, are you about to call Fury and the goons?" Tony shot out of his chair. "Look, I think we should keep SHIELD out of this for now."

"Why's that?" Steve asked, looking more confused than that time Tony tried to teach him how to use an iPhone.

"Because, the more people there are, the more complicated this could become. We don't know what Loki's planning, what if SHIELD is a part of some crazy psycho plan of his, and us bringing them in would only further those maniacal schemes."

Tony sounded like he lost it…but it did make some kind of sense, right? Loki knew SHIELD existed and he probably expected them to come running with big guns, at least now they'll have him off guard. A simple info retrieval should be sufficient for now.

"So, this machine can find my brother." Thor's eyes began to look so hopeful, like a child who was about to be reunited with his family.

"Theoretically."

"Alright, this should be easy." Tony said as he punched some weird numbers into his machine. Steve only looked on as the others read what looked to be…forget it. He never could understand what Tony was ever talking about, like when he tried to explain that iPhone contraption. Weren't phones supposed to be used to make calls? Now all people ever want to do are make videos and upload them to something called Facebook. He shook his head and crossed his fingers, hopefully this thing would find their man.

"After Loki left I had JARVIS upload the residue of his energy signature. I'll just look for a strong concentration of that magic crap and bingo." He sounded so confident. So sure of himself. There was no way this would fail.

And then it did.

But he tried again and…

Same result.

"Damn it." Tony slammed his fist into the keyboard. "He must not be on the planet, but don't worry, I'll keep this thing running on autopilot, that way if he does come back to our side of the fence, even for a nanosecond, we'll know about it. I hope."

He pressed a few more buttons and it was done. Loki would have no place to hide.

"What I don't get is why Loki isn't doing _anything. _I mean, if what Thor says is true, why would he just go against his nature like this?" Clint asked, it was almost funny, if Natasha didn't know any better, it would sound like Clint cared.

"I do not know archer, but when we find him we shall get all of the answers we need."

Time went by and still there was no detection of Loki, and as much as Tony hated to admit it, something strange was going on in the city. As Tony walked back from his favorite bakery, he noticed everything was quiet. New York was supposed to be the center of action, wasn't it? Street dancers, loud music, traffic that didn't move for hours, but everything was still. The cars were still, the people on the streets moved with a mechanical accuracy, like walking puppets, of course no one would have noticed it if they weren't looking. Most people were too busy with their own lives to even notice, but Tony did.

And it scared him.

Thor leaned against the balcony, this Midgardian city and their love of science was still a grand mystery to him, but even more confounding than the mortals and their ways was the strange mind of his brother. What was the point of all this? What did he want to gain? How did he escape?

"Thor?"

Thor turned to see Steve Rogers approach him, his shirt draped over his shoulders.

"Yes Captain."

"Out of everyone here you know Loki the best. If he's not on Earth, where else would he hide?"

Thor shrugged. "The Bifrost is still in repairs, so there aren't many places he could escape to, but he is Loki. If he's found a way to avoid Heimdall's gaze, then maybe he's found a way to travel without use of the Bifrost."

Steve rolled his eyes. Great, just what we need.

"Truth be told Captain, I am worried."

Steve smiled, "Don't worry Thor, we'll find him and stop him."

"No, it is not Loki's schemes that way heavy on my mind, but his reasons. What could possibly make him stop everything he is? Loki without chaos is…unheard of."

Steve nodded; everything was getting out of control, and even if they did manage to find Loki, then what? What were they supposed to say, "Get back to causing mayhem or else"?

"Captain Rogers, Thor, Mr. Stark has returned." Jarvis said. The both of them looked to the sky, and then to the windows. Hearing a house that talked was disturbing for the both of them.

"Uh…thanks…Jarvis." Steve said. Even though he was talking to a house, it was still important to be polite.

The two walked back into the mansion to meet Tony. Natasha and Clint were already in the kitchen when they arrived. It was times like these that he wished Banner was around, he felt like they could use the extra man power.

"So, anything happen while I was away?" Tony asked as he wiped his mouth.

"No, but Clint and I were talking," Natasha said, "We think we've figured out Loki's scheme"

"Oh, do tell." Tony said as he plopped down onto a couch.

"We think he's planning something even bigger than the Chitari invasion. Something huge. That's why he's pretty much stopped all activities, and why no one has seen him in years. It's probably got to do with this plan."

Tony seemed less than convinced. "Alright, and what is this plan?"

"We don't know Stark." Clint started in. "We'll just find him and beat him up until he tells us."

"Yeah and wha-"

A loud piercing alarm screeched through the air.

"Avengers," Jarvis said, "The power signature that you have been tracking has been found."

Tony's eyes lit up. "Well, looks like Loki's back on world."

Steve nodded, "Let's get some answers."


	3. Chapter 3

"He's…here?"

Tony's signal had led them to a small, secluded part of the city, so insignificant that many of them had passed it without giving it a second thought. There, on the street corner sat a little café.

"It's…quaint." Steve said as he tapped his boot against the cement.

"So, what? Loki just stopped by for some coffee?" Clint grabbed his bow from around his back. "Either way, I'm going in."

Natasha stepped in front of him, her hair falling to her shoulders, "Hold on Clint. Remember what happened last time? He pretty much made you his puppet, what if the same thing happens again? If we're doing this we need to be smart and not act like a bunch of dumbasses."

"Agreed." Captain America grabbed his shield, "Thor and Tony will go in and the rest of us will stay our here on standby."

Tony rolled his eyes in his suit. "Yeah yeah whatever."

Thor placed his palm over his hammer, his heart beating like a Dwarf's working mallet. It had been so long since Loki's failed siege of Midgard. Years even. His absence was even worse this time because instead of having the dull mourn of his death, there was the terrifying uncertainty of his actions. Would he seek revenge on the All-father? How many times had he practiced what he would say to his dear brother if he ever saw him again? Would he plead? Would he beg? Or would he simply shackle him in chains like some prisoner?

He took a deep breath.

And walked into the Café.

The place was small. Tables lined the up against the wall, each underneath a window to allow the guests to enjoy the view. The service counter on the other side was dimly lit, and the stench of chocolate coated the air like moss.

"Loki?" Thor's voice boomed across the room like…well, thunder. Tony took down his faceplate and rolled his eyes. If Loki really was up to something (as he always was) then they had just lost their element of surprise.

Great.

Tony charged his repulsor, if that slimy creep tried anything he wanted to be ready.

"Loki." Thor stomped across the café like he owned the place, and hell why not? Not like there was anyone there. The place was like a bookstore on Black Friday.

"Sir," Jarvis started in, "I'm detecting the energy signature. A few feet left of your current position."

Tony and Thor turned away into a door that led to another waiting area. How the hell did this Café have another room? Tony had seen huts bigger than this thing.

"There."

And sure enough, lounging against an oversized chair with a lukewarm cup of coffee in his hands sat the God of mischief himself.

"Loki." It took everything Thor had not to run over to his brother and embrace him. Smell his hair and feel his skin against his own, just to prove to himself this was no trick.

He's here.

Tony breathed a little easier, but he kept his repulsor aimed and charged.

"Loki. Whatever you're planning it ends now."

Loki looked up…and took a sip of his coffee. Who served him that anyway?

"Would you two like a cup?" He asked. "The brewer stepped out for a minute, but I'm sure he'll be back."

Did he just offer them coffee?

Thor shook his head, a scowl forming on his face. "We did not come for a beverage brother, we came to apprehend you."

He took another sip.

"Are you sure brother? I had heard you really enjoyed this drink on your first visit to Midgard, and this little shop brews the best in the entire city."

There was something…odd about Loki. His green shirt hung loosely from his shoulders, he slumped in that oversized chair like a child who just finished a warm bath. His eyes shined like minted quarters. He looked so…unburdened, as if a huge building had been lifted off of his chest.

"What the hell are you planning reindeer games. We know it's you whose been wreaking all of this havoc."

Well, havoc wasn't really the word. More like peace and tranquility, but if Loki was behind it there was no way it could be good.

"Brother…what have you done?" Thor's voice almost cracked, but he kept his posture strong, he couldn't appear weak, not even in front of the brother he had thought he lost.

"What do you mean Thor?" He took another sip.

"Chaos has left the realms Loki, the balance of all things is in jeopardy. If this is some cruel scheme to-"

"No brother. No scheme." Loki sank deep into his chair, as if he hadn't a single care. "No plot, no lies, nothing." If Tony didn't know better, he'd have sworn Loki just chuckled.

The God's face was smooth like churned ice cream, soft and sweet. There was no underlying malice in his voice, no cruel glint in his eye, and no deep sadness to his face. In all his years of knowing his brother, he had never seen Loki so at ease. Even as children, their most innocent of years, Loki still carried some unknown weight in his chest, but now that burden seems to have disappeared…like magic.

"What has happened to you Loki?"

Loki took a deep, long sip of his drink and placed the cup on the chair's arm rest. "I've been traveling."

"W-Why?"

"Is that not what people do when they are on break? I believe the mortals call it a vacation."

"Va…cation?" That word was so foreign to Thor's tongue it felt like a snake worming its way out of his mouth.

The God of chaos is on vacation?

"I'm pretty sure tyrants aren't supposed to get vacations." Tony piped in, feeling he had been silent for long enough.

"Never the less, I took one, and decided to extend it…maybe indefinitely." He took one last sip, and then his cup ran empty. "Are you not thrilled brother?" He smiled widely like a child.

Thor shook his head. "You did this…for me?"

Loki stood. "No, I did this for _me_."

The air was getting thick like a serpent's tongue. Loki had been known to lie. His treachery was legendary in all of the realms, but a world without chaos is something not even Loki could dream up. A would without chaos is a world without _him._

"For you?" He had to be lying. "Loki, this makes no sense." This had to be a trick. "W-why would you do such a thing?"

His tongue was spewing lies to aid in his escape…was it not?

His shoulders heaved. Loki's smile began to fade, like the sunlight swallowed by the coming rain clouds. "Maybe, someday, I'll tell you."

And then…he was gone, leaving nothing his place but three dollar bills. A tip for the brewer.

He was lying, right?


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean he escaped?"

Tony rolled his eyes are Clint's ranting. When Thor and he had returned from the coffee shop, unscathed and without Loki, the others confused…no, that's not correct. They were pissed.

Yeah, that's the word.

"Tony, this doesn't make any sense." Steve said as they all made their way back to the jet. "He just left? No plan, no fighting, no secret invaders wading behind the arm chairs?"

"Pretty much Capt." Tony breathed through his nose and forced the air out of his mouth; the largest sigh Steve had heard in years.

"He says he is on a 'Vacation'." Thor said. Every time they crammed themselves into the jet it seemed to get smaller. When Tony first created the stupid thing he said it would be able to accommodate all of them with plenty of room to spare…needless to say that was a lie.

"Bullshit." Clint spoke, his eyes gleaming like coals in the fire, "He's planning something. He's always planning something."

"Oh, right. And what is his evil plan huh? Drinking coffee and leaving tips? The fiend!" Tony shook his head. "If Mr. Antlers wants to give up on the "conquering the world" shtick, then let him."

"Man of Iron, we can't do that. Loki still must return to Asgard to face his punishment for-"

"Yeah yeah, we got that Goldie locks, but think about it. Loki's not doing anything, and wouldn't it be easier to just let him stew in…whatever it is he's stewing in, instead of chasing him down only to have him disappear?"

Tony could feel Clint's eyes burrowing into him through his armor, they still hadn't forgotten about Loki's quick escape, but what could Thor or he had done about it?

"And what if he's just biding his time until his real plan is gone in motion?" Steve asked. "Remember the last time he was here? He let us think he was captured, but really-"

"Yeah I know, but something tells me…" Tony licked his lips and closed his eyes "…he meant it." Tony punched a few buttons on the jet's monitor. "We can monitor him and if he does anything, and if he shows up again we'll know."

"But Man of Iron, what of the world at large? The nine realms, everything is-"

"Yes Thor, I know. Eternal peace and order I get it. But come on. It really isn't _that_ bad." That was a lie. "And even still, which is worse? People acting a little strange, or a crazy maniac trying to take over the universe?"

Everyone fell silent.

"Exactly."

So it was settled then. When Tony got home he spent the entire day tracking Loki's signature and even expanding his machine so that it could detect Loki as far the moon. If something appeared to be out of order, they would check it out.

They'd leave Loki alone…for now.

Steve was still uneasy about the entire situation. Loki? On vacation? Really? But both Tony and Thor seemed so sincere, so sure, they he couldn't help but give them the benefit of the doubt, even if he didn't like it.

"You're worried too, aren't you?"

Steve jumped at the sound of Natasha's voice. How exactly did she manage to walk so silently?

"Well Rogers I know how you feel. I don't trust anyone or anything I can't cut up."

Steve smiled. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see."

And hopefully, they'll still be alive then.

Weeks passed and there was no sign of Loki. The world continued to spin. Crime was dwindling down to non-existence. Natasha and Clint joked that if this kept up SHILED would go out of business and Fury would have to find a new job. Thor began to have second thoughts about the entire venture. The mortals were happy, and the nine realms had never been more peaceful. Maybe Odin had overreacted. Maybe Loki's removal was his one act of kindness. Maybe everything was going to be fine.

Even Steve was beginning to think less and less of Loki's escape as a future attack, and more and more as a Godsend. Natasha was getting less and less gun practice, and Tony could focus more on his "inventing" (or rather, bringing home every girl he met off the street) now that he didn't have to worry about villains trying to rip his tongue out. Everything was fine.

And then it happened.

Steve sat down in front of the television, a towel hanging over his head from an early morning run. He flipped to the local news channel. New York had changed so much since the 40's and he wanted to keep up to date on as much as he could.

"Good morning New York." The one thing that hadn't changed was the overzealous news casters, their teeth whiter than baking powder. "Crime continues to plummet through the city, but there are still others who refuse to follow our laws."

The scene cut to the figure of a small young man, his hands chained behind his back. He sat upon a chair. His face was smooth like a child's. The room was crowded with people, old and young who looked on with blank faces. Regardless, justice was done. Steve knew what danger was, he knew what would happen if order was destroyed. Tyranny would rule, and because of that fact Rogers always believed in their system of justice, fair but merciful. Whatever this guy did, it must have been something despicable to warrant this much attention.

"This man has committed a grand crime and shall face his punishment." The news caster stated. "His crime?" Steve's ears perked up. "Disturbing the peace."

Steve's blood turned to ice.

"This man was caught playing loud music, disturbing the peace of downtown. That is something we cannot abide by."

This guy was sounding less like a bad journalist and more like an executioner. The people in the background only looked on, their faces devoid of any…character. No emotion, no disdain, just blank faceless nothings.

What was going on?

"He'll be executed by sunset."

Steve's ears began to burn.

"Execution? For disturbing the peace?" Not murder, not manslaughter, but ruining the peace that was slowly surrounding them; choking them like a noose. The news cast slowly faded; cold words echoing through Steve's hollow chest. Executed by sunset.

Peace was not merciful.


	5. Chapter 5

This was completely new for him. Loki walked into a strange little pet shop, a jacket hugging his arms like a lover. The place was almost deserted. Cages were lined against the walls like decorations, and the cashier at the front looked like her face would crack if she tried to smile, hell, it looked more like a prison than a pet shop.

"Can I help you sir?"

Loki breathed deeply. He knew all about prisons. When Thor returned him to Asgard to face his punishment the only thing that went through his head was "Revenge" and "Glory". Not a second went by in the holding cell that Loki didn't dream of escape. At night his mind dreamed of returning to Midgard to reclaim what he thought was his.

And then one day, by pure luck he managed to escape, he convinced one of the guards to allow him a brief relief from his cell (his was the silver tongue after all), and of course, during his brief freedom, he left a spectral image in his place.

Perfect.

That day was perfect. His victory day. His revenge day. The day he would finally ascend to his rightful place as ruler. He traveled, looking for new ways to increase his power, anything that would grant him victory over Thor and his band of fools.

Loki looked around the pet shop and his spine began to shiver. "No thanks," he told the cashier, "I'm just browsing."

His journeys took him to back to Midgard, through Nifelheim, and across Jotunheim. He discovered how to hide himself from Heimdall's sight and Odin's crows and yet he still dreamed of revenge.

The pet shop was filled with the most interesting creatures, exotic in their ordinariness. There were birds that repeated his words and dogs who stood up as he past. He only chuckled and shook his head, they reminded him of Thor.

His journey finally took him to Hel. The place feared by all, in every realm, even the mortals. He heard warnings and whispers as he entered the gate. "Turn back Trickster, you know not what you enter into."

But he had come too far.

He entered Hel, a place that made him yearn for his own cell back in Asgard…but he could not turn back, no he was far too close. The horror stories he had heard as a child were flooding back to him. Souls of the wicked rose from the ground, waters rippled like chains overhead, threatening all who sought any form of hope of comfort.

And then he came across the edge of Hel.

The very end of all life and death, a black void that stretched out into eternity. Could this be what he had been looking for?

"Turn back trickster. You know not what you seek."

He knew what he sought. Revenge, power, domination. He would get all of it…

"Sir?" Loki turned around to see the cashier, smacking on her gum. "Are you alright?"

It just occurred to Loki that he had been standing in the middle of the hallway.

He shook his head. "Yeah yeah, I-I'm fine." He hugged his jacket closer to him and gazed across the hallway. More cages.

Hel was a risky place to be in, but he had come too far, hadn't he? He peered deep into the abyss and saw…himself.

"What trickery is this?"

He saw hundreds of himself, thousands even, an army of Lokis across the darkness. Images of himself across everything. He saw himself as a woman, a sly smile across her face, he saw himself as a child running through the streets of Paris under the name of Serrure. He saw himself as Odin's adopted brother, he saw himself as a scrawny Jotun, hiking across the frozen tundra. And then he saw himself as he had always meant to be…ruler of Asgard.

He smiled, this is what he had been looking for. Conformation of his own existence, he was the rightful ruler, he was the one true heir…but that vision was not what he had hoped it was.

The cashier went back behind the counter and shrugged. "Just call me if you need anything."

Loki walked to the back of the hallway…and he stopped. His eyes fell upon a cage, far away from the others, as if the thing caged inside did not deserve to see the sunlight ever again.

"Who are you little one?"

Loki stared into the specter in front of him. He was king. He was ruler…but something was wrong. In that vision Loki, the one who now ruled over all of Asgard was…unhappy. This Loki who had defeated Thor, won Asgard, and now had Odin in chains, looked even more burdened than he had ever seen himself.

"But that's fine. I'll still be ruler. I'll still have my revenge."

But the vision played on and then ended…

"This can't be right."

With Loki tied to a stone, a serpent dripping its venom against his face.

"W-what?"

Loki as a woman, dressed with her sneer smile, ended with her tied to a rock underneath a serpent's venom. As a child running through Paris, he was subjected to the same fate. Over and over and over. Every scheme, every plan, every ounce of chaos he could ever dream of doing, ending with the same results.

The venom of a serpent.

"Is this to be my fate?"

Then what was the point of any of it? What was the point of trying so hard for something that would forever be denied to him? What was the point of planning and never knowing peace? Him, Loki, the master of chaos…no, the slave of chaos. Ever since birth, he was never allowed to know peace.

Born a Jotun, raised as an Asgardian, how could a creature know what peace was when his very existence was the definition of unrest?

"This can't be…"

Even as a child he knew only of disappointment. Everything he studied, magic, deceit, trickery, was the opposite of what was considered honorable to his own home. He never knew peace. He never knew order. He would never know happiness. All he had was chaos…

Loki peered deeply into the cage, and saw a little black ball, curled up in the corner. He called the cashier over, and she opened the cage for him. It was a cat. A small black cat with yellow eyes like the moon at midnight.

"Who is this?" He asked.

"Oh, this little guy doesn't have a name yet. Some people left him here and we haven't been able to find him a home."

Well that didn't make sense, a handsome little devil like this?

"Why?" Loki asked.

The cashier smacked her gum. "Because people don't really like black cats."

Loki limped out of Hel, his arms against his sides were like pieces of wet parchment. All his scheming, all of his ambition, all of his work…meant nothing. Even if he did manage to gain the throne it would never truly be his. The only thing he could have was disorder. He wasn't even permitted to have a life outside of chaos was he? He was a Jotun in a world ruled by Asgardians. He was a sorcerer in a world of swords. He was a silver tongue in a world of rusty brawn.

He was no master of anything…he never was.

He shook his head.

"So be it."

Loki held the cat close to his chest. The thing was so skinny he could almost count its ribs. Loki had heard of the world's aversion to black cats. They brought bad luck, he had heard. They were the bringers of bad news, he had heard.

He never once believed those words would keep a creature from having a home.

They were kindred spirits, he and that cat. After his trip to Hel he had lost himself. What was the point of being Chaos if you couldn't have a life? What was the point of chasing a crown that would never be yours?

"You're so adorable." He told the cat, its yellow eyes looking into his bright, green pupils. They both knew what it was like to be distrusted, to walk past and feel the side-eyed resentment of others simply for daring to exist. They were cut from the same cloth.

After Hel, he went on a journey. He traveled, he saw the realms. He lived. No Odin to tantalize him with thoughts of ruling. No Thor to overshadow him. No Asgard to look down on his way of doing things. Just himself and peace. For the first time in his entire existence, he had found peace.

"I'll take him."


	6. Chapter 6

"This can't be. It is just as my father feared." Thor looked upon Iron Man's monitors, all throughout the world men and women were being incarcerated and put to death for small fines, playing the music too loudly, painting on walls, and even stranger, no one was doing anything about it. People were carrying on as if it were a normal and just punishment.

They were so wrapped up in the goings on of the world, that they had missed Loki when he reappeared for a brief moment. Damn it.

"Tony, there's gotta be something we can do. Anything?" Steve looked like he was in shock, his body was shaking more than when he was fished out of that ice block.

"I'm trying, I'm trying." Tony couldn't believe this was happening. When Steve came bounding into his lab, telling him to turn on the news, he was almost too annoyed to indulge him. What, were they showing a WW II documentary again? But Tony did as he was asked…and he felt like his stomach had leapt out of his throat. The Avengers knew Loki was powerful, but they had no idea his influence gave them free will. They had no idea that chaos, was what made them human.

"Look, I can't wait any longer. I say we go out and rescue those people." Steve had had enough of waiting. It was like a WW II concentration camp all over again, except there was no one to raise any hell about it, no one to march against it…it was just accepted.

"Steve, I know how you feel but we can't just go in there guns blazing. There are laws-"

"Since when do you care about laws Stark?" Clint's voice sliced through Tony like an axe, rusty and without any grace to speak of.

"I don't, but having the Avengers branded as fugitives isn't going to help anyone."

"And neither is sitting around like a bunch a' dumbasses."

"That's enough Hawkeye." Natasha entered behind the left door, her finger slipping on and off of the gun's trigger. "Stark's right, we can't just go in there half-cocked. We need a plan, and also, we need to know more of this "peace", like why aren't we being affected by it, and how do we stop it?"

Thor shook his head, "I believe the reason why we are unaffected is because we have fought chaos itself, my brother, and proved victorious. I think the same may be true of this order as well, but I am not sure how long it will hold. We must find Loki, by any means necessary."

"Fine, but that doesn't mean we can just sit around here while innocent people die." Steve had already placed his mask on his head. "I'm going to stop this."

Before Tony could say anything else, before Clint could join him in his mission, and before Natasha could roll her eyes, Steve had left.

He took his chopper and speed to downtown, the news report said the execution would be at dawn, well, he would get there before then; by any means necessary. The night blurred all around Steve, the stars began to look like streetlights, the cars began to look like clouds.

"I won't let this happen."

He managed to make it to the execution site, a place called Vert Industries. He slowly slipped through the shadows, broke the seal using that jammer Tony created (something he…borrowed, on his way out) and managed to get inside. He would say this, technology did make everything more convenient, if nothing else.

The hallway was so small, but the strange thing was there were no guards. Maybe this would be easier than he anticipated.

Back at the tower Tony was still trying to locate the source of all their troubles, or rather, the one person who could stop them.

"Why didn't we go with him?" Clint asked. It had been too long since any of them had seen any kind of conflict, he was itching to make something bleed.

"Because it wouldn't have done any good. Look, he's been doing crap like this since before any of us was born. He'll be fine. We need to find Loki and," he couldn't believe he was about to say this, "Try and get him to help."

Tony began to type again. They could rule out Earth as being his hideout, so he must be somewhere else. Didn't Thor say there were nine realms? Then that meant Loki could be on either one of them, and there was no way to get to any of them.

"Thor? How exactly did you get here?" The last time Thor came he explained to them that the way of getting to Earth…the Bifrost, had been destroyed.

"The All-Father used his power to send me here. It was no easy feat."

"And this 'All-Father' sees everything right?" Tony asked, hoping that he could remember some of his mythology from college.

"Aye."

Tony went back to typing. "Alright, I've got a theory, but it'll take some time. Right now, we should just focus on trying to find Loki."

"And Capt.?" Clint asked.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

Captain America walked through the hallway, looking for where they kept the prisoners. He had to hurry, dawn would come at any time. He passed empty corridor after empty corridor, and still no guard, or prisoner. This was easier than infiltrating H.Y.D.R.A., but something was off.

Finally, he came to a room, wide opened and unlocked. He walked inside, and saw the same young man he had seen on the news, the same young man with that lifeless expression.

"Son," he began "I'm getting you out of here."

But, there were no chains on the prisoner, no locks on his door. He just sat there, obediently like a dog. Didn't he hear? He was free. Rescue was here.

"Son?" Steve moved closer, placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed. "Come on, let's go."

No movement.

"You'll die if we don't get you out of here."

Nothing.

Steve shook his head, and heaved the man onto his shoulders. They had to get out of-

Footsteps, the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway.

It was dawn already.

"No no no." He tightened his grip around the man who hung like a dead animal over his shoulders. "Let's move." He turned towards the door, but it was already too late. There in the doorway stood two guards. Steve's eyes narrowed.

"Put the prisoner down and leave."

There was no way he was letting this kid get killed, not as long as-

"Put me down."

What? Steve looked over his shoulder, the young man had finally begun to speak.

"Son, you can't mean that. I'll get you out of here and-"

"No," he said, "Put me down." His voice was so soft, so lifeless. "There is no point. No anymore."

Was this why there were no locks on his door? No guards in the hallways? Because he wouldn't try to escape? Because he didn't have the spirit too anymore?

Is this was order does?

Without thinking, Steve placed the young man down. What was he doing? This wasn't right. He knew it.

"Captain, please leave the premises."

But he couldn't stop himself. This was wrong, but this was justice now. Wasn't it?

He clenched his jaw and his fist tightened. He couldn't help anyone if they didn't want to be helped, that was something he learned a long time ago. His back felt hot as the morning sun slashed against it. That boy could not be helped. No one could be helped. No matter how much he wanted to.


	7. Chapter 7

Their hearts sank when Steve returned empty handed, his face dark like a California midnight.

"Well, I do have some good news." Tony said. "It seems like Loki's reappeared again. This time at a restaurant."

Steve nodded. "Good, we're all going in this time. This has gone far enough."

The trip in the jet was quick and in no time they were at a place called "Sparkle's". Steve grabbed his shield, Natasha he guns, Hawkeye his arrows, Thor his hammer, and Tony had already armored up.

"Let's get him."

All five of them walked in as if they owned the entire city, and there in the corner by the window sat Loki. Steve almost didn't believe his eyes. The trickster was…smiling. When Tony had said that Loki was changed, he didn't really believe him, but there was something different.

Something…peaceful about the tyrant. Whatever, none of that matter now.

"Loki," Steve began as he walked over to the mischief maker, "We want answers."

The man was dressed in a loose fitting shirt that fell over his shoulders like a blanket, and on the table was just about every dessert Steve could ever imagine. Apple pie with golden crust, a deep chocolate cake that looked like it was carved out of marble. Blueberry pie, an ice cream sundae with strawberry sauce and all kinds of other things. And there in the corner with a saucer of milk sat a black cat, its yellow eyes beaming in the morning sun.

"What is all this?" Thor asked as he approached his brother.

"Good morning Thor." Loki said as he took a bite of chocolate cake. "How about you and your friends sit down and have some dessert with me? It's really quite tasty." He smiled. "I can see why you love this world so much."

Steve was getting angry. "You've got some nerve tyrant. You cause an innocent kid to die and you're here eating dessert like it was your birthday" Steve's eyes grew red, whether they were from the lack of sleep or the angry tears he fought back, he couldn't be certain.

"My dear Captain, what do you mean?" Loki's eyes examined Steve's face, there was no anger in either pupil. There was no dark plot forming behind his gaze, just sheer confusion. "Why don't you sit down Captain? You look tired."

Steve fought back every urge in his body to punch the guy in his face. "You murdered someone. He was just a-"

"Brother," Thor interrupted, "You're actions have caused this destruction!"

Loki shook his head. "I haven't caused anything. And Thor there is no destruction. It's just order." Loki leaned over and placed his hand on his cat.

"That's the problem reindeer games. This is the order you caused, and it's zapping every one of their free will. We demand you stop it."

Loki placed his fork in the ice cream sundae. "I do not catch your meaning Man of Iron. Are you saying you _want_ me to go back to trying to take over the nine realms, and that you _want_ me to continue to sew discord throughout your world, and that you _want_ me to return to plotting for the throne of Asgard?" He sounded so confused.

"Of course not brother, but-"

"Good," Loki said as he licked strawberry sauce off of his fork, "Because I wish not to do those things either. I want to relax. Why don't you join me? There's plenty to go around. Thor, try this chocolate cake, it is sublime."

Was this happening?

In all honesty they expected something a little more. An epic showdown, a tyrant god who would stop at nothing to gain power, some devil plot that would test everything they had. Instead they got some guy eating dessert at six in the morning with a cat. Why did he have a cat?

"We've had enough of your games Loki." Clint raised his arrow to Loki's head. "Fix this _now_."

"And just how do you propose I do that?" Loki asked as he slid the apple pie closer.

This was getting frustrating. Here Loki was, eating without a care in the world, and all of the nine realms were being decimated by order. Tony hated to admit it, but he kind of missed the old Loki, the one who tried to kill them just a few years ago, at least with him they knew where they stood. With this relaxed Loki, they didn't know how to speak with him without making their blood boil.

"I don't know. Just fix it."

Loki simply rolled his eyes. "And why are you in such a hurry to return to chaos? Look around you;" Loki spread his arms out, "The world is safe, the people are happy. Everything is wonderful."

"Except the people have no free will, no spirit, no nothing." Steve countered. Clearly those were ideals he cherished. Who knew they were the result of chaos?

"I'm sorry Avengers, but there is nothing that I can do."

"Don't give us that." Tony lifted his repulsor to Loki's face. "You can start chaos again and end all of this right now."

Loki laid his cheek across the table like a tired child. "And what makes you think I want to start chaos again?"

"You make no sense brother. Chaos is your purpose and-"

"And what exactly has it gotten me Thor? I mean I can see where it gets all of you. You all get villains to vanquish and stories to tell. Clearly you all have something to gain from chaos, but what do I have to gain?" Loki leaned over and placed his hand on his cat once more. "I have found peace, and now that I have I can finally understand why you all cherish it so, and I'm not giving mine up just so there can be a villain for your epic tales, brother."

"Loki, that is not why we're asking you to-"

"Well whether it is or is not is irrelevant. The fact remains that I am through with that role. Now I'm going to live, not for some far away kingdom that will never come, but for myself. I'm sorry if that doesn't fit into your heroic ballads, god of thunder."

Steve had had enough of this talk. They should just lock Loki up and force him to cooperate. "Hawkeye, take him." Clint raise his bow, and fired an arrow right at Loki's head, but just as quickly as the arrow had whizzed out of Clint's fingers, Loki disappeared from his seat and in his place sat Thor.

The arrow impacted the thunder god's face, and he slammed into the window.

"Shit. Sorry Thor."

Loki sat on the opposite side of the room, his cat sitting in his arms. "Was that truly necessary archer?"

Clint raised his bow once again.

"Hawkeye stop," Tony took a step forward. "That isn't going to do anything." Loki had somehow gotten stronger since they last fought him, now he could teleport himself and others at will. With power like that, they were clearly fighting a losing battle.

"Alright, change of plans. Loki, what is it you want? Power? Do you want people do bow at your feet? There's gotta be more to it than sitting down and eating ice cream and coffee?" Tony said. There was no way they could force Loki's cooperation, so maybe they could get some answers.

"I'm not interested in anything of those things Man of Iron." Loki wiggled his finger under his cat's chin. "I told you before, there's no plot. I just want to enjoy my vacation."

"Well an important part of a 'vacation' is ultimately going back."

Loki chuckled, "Well, that's why I made it an indefinite vacation. I'm not going back."

Thor stepped through the gaping hole that was once a window. "Your games are destroying the balance Loki."

"Do you remember what you told me back on Asgard brother?" Loki began. "You told me that I needed to 'know my place'. Well, I believed my place was upon a throne, and it is not. I believed my place was within the walls of Asgard, and it is not, and I believed my place was as master of mischief, but that is not so either." His lips curved downward. "But that is fine, because I'm carving out my own place, and there is no room for chaos in it, and if that is a problem for you and your comrades then fine, but I am not going to resume a role I want no part of just to please you. I've done that for far too long."

Loki blinked twice and then he disappeared, leaving the Avengers in a stupor.


	8. Chapter 8

Loki's place was small. Ever since he left behind his old life, he wanted something that was his and his alone and he figured his place of residence was the best place to start.

"Here we are little one." Loki said. He placed his cat down and watched it crawl over to his arm chair in the corner.

Asgard was never a place he could call home, and Midgard had too many burned memories to be called a home. Not only that, but the Man of Iron had probably found a way to track him, and the last thing he wanted to do was be bothered…at least not now, not when he was still trying to get himself together. No, he needed a new start. He needed a place that was new…uncharted waters. Which is why he decided to settle down in Alfheim, the realm of the elves. Not much was none about these people, except that they were known for their serenity.

Perfect.

Loki walked over to his arm chair, picked up his cat and placed him in his lap.

"Meow."

He set up his new home in a cave on the outside of the realm's major city, that way no one would bother him, and even if they came looking he had created a spell that would mask his home from sight.

"I still have to give you a name, don't I?" Loki looked into his cat's eyes. He looked around his home, the furnishings were bare. There was a throw rug on the floor, a few chairs sprawled across the cave, a fireplace that he had yet to use, and bookcases that lined everyway. The place was small and cramped, but it was his.

And his alone.

"Meow."

He smiled. "No, this is _our_ home, isn't it little one?"

When Loki first brought his little friend into his new home the poor thing was so…shy. He hid just about everywhere. He hid under the chairs, he hid in the corners, he even found a way to squeeze behind his bookshelves. When Loki finally managed to fit a bed into that small space he deemed his new sleeping area, his cat hid under there as well.  
It took days, even weeks, for the poor creature to feel comfortable enough to even meow at Loki. There were nights when his cat shivered (either from some nightmare, or closed memory) and Loki would pick him up and place him in the bed with him.

"Sleep easy little one," he would whisper. As time went by, the cat simply snuggled up to Loki's side at night, and soon the shivering stopped. During breakfast, when the cat would shove himself under the arm chair, he would now take his meal at Loki's side.

"Meow."

Loki smiled. "Just by looking at you I can tell you're strong." Loki ran his fingers through the cat's fur. He had thought of giving the cat a name of a Norse god, but that didn't seem right. This cat was Midgardian and his name should reflect that.

"Meow."

"It was a shame though. I'm sorry we had to leave in such a hurry." The cat had barely started on his breakfast when Thor and his friends showed up. Despite their rude interference Loki felt no ill will towards any of them. It was the same routine, Thor would show up, stomp around in his boots as if the world should be grateful he showed his face, and then made demands. Same as he always did. Years ago Loki would have felt anger, resentment, bitterness…but now he just felt indifference.

Thor's booming voice once filled him with disdain, but now it was just like the sound of thunder. Loud and flashy, but ultimately meaningless. The Avengers could demand all they liked from him, but he was under no obligation to fulfill any of their wishes. He had done nothing wrong besides live his own life, on his own terms.

And he would always do so, regardless of their approval.

"Meow."

Loki nodded. "I know I know, you're hungry."

The cat jumped from Loki's lap and walked over to his bowl. "Meow."

He still had to give him a name.

Loki walked over to the bowl, and clapped his hands twice. The bowl filled up with what the mortals called "cat food", he figured it was good enough for his new friend.

That morning he wanted to sample every dessert the mortal world had to offer, something he hadn't done since he was a child… and it was wonderful.

"You know, next time we should try to go to an 'amusement park', the mortals say they are quite fun." Loki ran his fingers through his cat's fur. The creature's body use to be so frail, but as the days went by it had grown strong like a lion's.

The Loki's eyes lit up.

"…Leon." That was perfect. He had heard that the name meant "courage", and, just like his new friend, it was Midgardian in origin. "What do you think of that name?"

Strong. Brave. Exotic in its own ordinariness. It fit perfectly.

In all honesty Loki could not remember when he had stopped thinking about Thor, or Midgard, or Asgard, or any of the other worlds he once sought to conquer. They slowly became less important to his world until they disappeared completely. He had heard once that the opposite of love was not hate, but indifference, living on without a thought to how the third party was.

Had he reached that stage?

Loki sat and watched Leon devour every last bit of his meal and he shuttered. He really had changed.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So, someone asked if I could update today because it's their birthday, well, here it is Happy Birthday **

"Well that did nothing." Clint said as the Avengers returned to the tower. This was getting them nowhere. All they were doing was waiting for Loki to show up, and when they tried to confront him he made them look like complete amateurs.

"Hey Thor," Steve said. "I need you to come with me for a while." The two shuffled down the hallway, far from Natasha's lingering eyes, and Stark's ears. There was a strange air about the Captain. His once proud stature slumped over as he walked.

"Captain, what is it that burdens you?" Thor asked. He felt…hoped, that this was far enough away from the others.

"It's your brother." Steve almost shook as he spoke. "Everything's going the hell and he's just sitting there at ease. I guess I should have expected this from someone like him. He revels in the misery of others." That last line crawled from Steve's lips like a scorpion, angry and ready to sting.

Thor only shook his head. Yes, there was a deep change in his brother, but malice was not a part of it. Loki may be the foe of the Avengers, but he is still Thor's brother, and like it or not, he knew the man better than any of them could ever hope to.

And the Loki they saw now was not the Loki he knew.

"The reason why I called you here was to ask…are there any weaknesses to Loki? I mean physically? Maybe there is some kind of enchantment we can try?" Steve was almost shaking as he spoke. "There's gotta be something that'll put this guy away."

Thor almost felt his stomach drop onto the floor. Put his brother away?

"I fear, Captain, that even if we do dispose," that word wrong coming from him, "of my brother, that will not bring back chaos. No one really knows what will happen. It may even bring about…" He looked away, unable to finish his sentence.

Ragnarok. He had heard that any kind of imbalance in the cosmos may bring about the end of everything. Right now Loki's very existence was the only thing keeping Ragnarok at bay, at least that's what Thor hoped, doing away with him would certainly make things worse.

"And I am afraid physical force won't do anything to sway my brother's course. He is…on vacation." There was that word again. Vacations were such a strange Midgardian custom. "But it's strange, I have never seen my brother so happy. So content."

It almost made Thor a little sad, the only was his brother could get any kind of peace was through the total rejection of his family, his home, and everything he grew up around. Was Asgard truly the source of all of his trouble?

"That's not good enough." Steve's face was long and dry. He hadn't gotten any sleep at all, and it was showing.

"Captain. I sense there is something else weighing on your heart."

Steve closed his eyes. All he could see was that boy's face, his eyes devoid of any life at all. No hope. No spark. No chance of a better world. The very things he fought against back in the war. But now, all his work, all of his sacrifice undone by some megalomaniac who wasn't even trying to. That was the worst of it. _He wasn't even trying_. This wasn't some huge scheme that could be fought with justice and truth; it was some god who got sick of his own place in the universe and decided to eat cake with a cat. All he had worked for and represented had been defeated not by evil, but by indifference.

"It's just something personal." Steve managed to say. "Look, the world can't take much more of this order. There's got to be something we can do. Anything."

"I fear the only one who can restore order is Loki, and he can only do that by taking up the role he refuses to resume." Thor's shoulders sank.

Jarvis screeched through the intercom. "Captain, Thor, your presence is requested in the war room."

Thor placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Fear not Captain, we shall find a way to make everything right."

Thor and Steve entered the war room where the rest of the team was already seated.

"So glad you two could join us." Tony said as he brought up the holoscreen. "Alright we, and by that I mean I, have come up with a plan to catch Loki. The next time he appears we'll jump him from all sides, bring him back here and lock him in a cage."

Natasha rolled his eyes. "And how do we know he'll stay there?"

Steve slammed his fist against the table, "We'll force him!"

"Look Captain," she began, "Our current course of action hasn't been working. At the moment we've just been waiting for Loki to show up only to have him escape."

"Then what exactly do you think we should Natasha?" The room was getting tense, you could almost split the air with a butter knife.

"You said it yourself Stark. We need answers. Loki's clearly decided not to "play" anymore, but we need to find out why."

"And we can't just beat him up because…" Clint leaned back in his chair,

"Because every time we try that we get our asses handed to us, or do you not remember what happened earlier?" Natasha leaned against the table. "The only thing we can do is wait until Loki comes back again, but this time, we'll just observe. Stark, I know you have satellites and cameras all over the world."

Tony's face turned red. "…maybe."

"Well we need them on at all times. The next time Loki comes we'll be able to see him, and see what he does."

Steve didn't like it. This isn't the time for just sitting around. They needed action…but every other way hasn't worked so far, so maybe…just maybe…they could do it this way.

"Fine."

It had been weeks since Loki's last visit, and they were all getting restless. Who'd have thought that the Avengers, of all people, would be waiting for Loki to return? Steve sat in front of the television, watching the news. It was only getting worse. Crime was pretty much non-existent, and so was freedom.

Tony looked through the window in his office, the New York streets that were once filled with people had been deserted; the city that never sleeps was dying. Was it because everyone was too afraid, or they just didn't have the spirit to walk outside anymore?

For weeks the Avengers had been looking on the monitors, scouring the country looking for anywhere Loki might be. But even if they did find him, then what? Beg Loki to try and take over the world again?

"Sir," Jarvis began, "The energy signature has returned"

Tony sighed. "Alright. Get the monitors ready. Let's hope Widow's plan works."

The Avengers assembled in the war room once again. The monitor had settled on an Amusement park, just outside of New York.

"There? He'd go to an amusement park?" Clint asked.

"Well he did say he was on vacation." Tony said.

Thor stood up. "Let me see him. Simply sitting here isn't going to get us any answers."

"No," Natasha said, "This is just a way to gain intelligence. Get inside his head."

"My brother is strange, simply observing him will not yield the answers we seek."

"And I take it you have a better idea?" Tony asked.

"We shall continue to monitor him, but let me go to him. Try to figure out his scheme, maybe I can convince him to return to his place as-"

"And if that doesn't work?" Tony asked.

"Then we'll still have the information you all gained through this act." Thor's eyes softened. "Let me try."

They all turned to Natasha, her eyes wavered, simply unreadable, just like the always were.

"Alright. Go."


	10. Chapter 10

It did not take long for Thor to reach this "amusement park" that his brother appeared in. He had heard Captain Rogers and Tony speak of such places. These parks were used by the mortals as a way to have fun, it was where many of them went when on vacation. Though when he arrived there he was a little confused. From the tales he had heard he thought these places were to be filled with people, but instead it was emptier than an abandoned cave.

"Strange."

The place was so strange. There were small carts attached to the roof by poles, and a giant wheel that turned in the sky. There were pictures of men and women made with the board of card with their faces cut out, and balloons danced in the breeze next to a booth.

"Brother?"

Thor turned his head to see his brother Loki, a smile gleaning across his face, brighter than even the sun. In his hand he cradled a small stuff toy. "Thor! What a wonderful surprise." His smile grew wider.

"L-Loki." Thor still had not gotten used to his brother's smile, it made him want to run up and embrace his brother and never let go. He shook his head, he had a job to do. "Loki, I must have words with you."

Loki nodded, "Yes yes, but first brother, how about you and I try-"

"Loki, there are matters that are much more important than your games. You must return to your post at once." Thor spoke with the authority of a prince. There was too much at stake to allow Loki any room for his tricks. He had to get Loki back, by any means necessary.

Loki rolled his eyes, "Did we not already go through this discussion brother?" He clutched his stuffed toy, a bear with a yellow hat, to his chest. "I do not wish to return to chaos."

"What you wish, Loki, is irrelevant."

Loki cringed…how many times had he heard those words before? How many times had father shook his head at his practice of magic, or Thor's friends scoff at his love for words rather than steel.

"Brother, regardless of what you say, I'm still not going to return."

This was getting frustrating. Thor had been there for five minutes and already he was resorting back to what had already failed. He had to keep his wits about him. This task was about understating Loki's motives and trying to figure out what his plot was.

"Why did you come here Loki?"

Loki's smile returned. "I wanted to try out this amusement park, I had heard they were fun." Loki's eyes began to perk. "Why don't you join me? We can experience it together."

This would be perfect. Thor could get close to Loki without forcing himself, and maybe he and the rest of the realms could get some answers.

The two brothers explored the park, and even though it was empty Loki used his magic to operate all of the machinery and games so that they could at least experience it.

"So," Thor asked as he launched a ball at a pyramid of empty bottles. "Are you enjoying you 'vacation'?" Those words felt so hallow coming from Thor's lips. He could rightly see a great change in his brother, but unfortunately that change had dire consequences for everyone else.

"Brother, it's wonderful." Loki said as he floated a stuffed alligator to his brother. Thor did win it fair and square did he not?

Thor cocked his eyebrow. "So, you're content with a world without chaos. That means that there is no mischief for you to take part in brother." How could Loki ever be happy in a world where is influence was gone?

"The thing about chaos, brother, is that when you're busy making it, you're also too busy to have your own life."

Did those words just spill from Loki's lips? Thor would have been ecstatic. No, he should have been the happiest being in all the nine realms, his brother was so at peace…but that happiness came at a cost. How could he change so suddenly?

"What brought this on brother? This sudden change of heart?"

And then Loki's smile faded like sunlight behind a storm. His arms fell to his side, and his eyes began to turn red, as if he were fighting back a strange fear. "I just felt like I needed a change."

Strange.

Next they went on a machine called a "roller coaster", the thing moved faster than any beast the two brothers had ever come across. Loki insisted on riding it again and again…and then he threw up in a nearby waste bin.

"What's next?" Loki asked. "We could try the merry-go-round, or-"

"Loki," Thor's voice was even. "You know I will have to tell father of this."

Loki blinked twice. "I know brother."

"Why don't you just return to Asgard with me? We can make all right again."

"And what exactly is wrong brother? Was it not you who urged me to 'give up my mad dream'? Were those not your words?"

Thor winced at the memory. "Aye, they were."

"So now that I've done what, not only you, but father, and your Avenger comrades, and everyone in the nine realms, have asked of me, you want me to return to what earned me your disdain." Loki's eyes were even and never wavered.

"Your role is important Loki, if this is some scheme of vengeance on the realms, we will not tolerate it."

"This is not about the realms brother. This is not about you, or vengeance. This is about me. This is about what makes me happy, and finally being able to pursue it. I do not understand any of you sometimes." Loki looked at his stuffed bear and sighed. "My only scheme is to live freely, and if that is the crime that will earn me greater condemnation than fine. But know this brother, I will not return to my old ways just because you deepen your voice, tower over me and demand it…there's nothing for me to gain anyway."

The sun was going down. It was time for them to depart.

"Next time," Loki began, "I'll bring my cat Leon. I can't wait for you two to meet."

"Aye." Thor felt a small chill run up his spine. "I look forward to it."

"I had fun brother."

The night began to engulf them both, and within seconds Loki had disappeared. Thor returned to the mansion that night, a stuffed alligator pressed against his chest.

"Good work Thor." Natasha said as she came out to greet him.

"I miss your meaning Lady Natasha."

"We were going over the footage and I think we've learned a little more about Loki, and whatever his plan is…if he even has one."

"What?"

"When you asked him about his sudden change of heart, he looked…sad almost." Her lips curved into a sneer. "I think we just got our first lead."


	11. Chapter 11

The next few days the Avengers poured themselves over the information they had just intercepted from Loki's day at the amusement park. Theories flew like paper airplanes in a classroom.

"What did he mean when he said that?"

"Maybe it's something to do with Asgard?"

"Perhaps he's just given up all together"

The Avengers soon spent most of their time in the war room, until finally they stopped leaving. They took their meals over their chairs, just so they could continue planning their strategy against Loki…and it always ended the same way.

"That'll never work." Iron Man would say.

"Why not? It's the perfect plan." Hawkeye would counter.

"We don't yet know the limits of his power. You saw how he dealt with us last time. He wasn't even trying." Steve would have to hold himself back. It took every ounce of military discipline he had not to rip the chair from under Tony's butt and smack him over the head with it.

Even worse was the fact that Thor was no help at all. All he did for the most part was holding that stuffed alligator. Its green fur was starting to get creases where his fingers had been.

Black Widow leaned back in her chair, her hair covering her eyes like a veil. "We still need more information."

But over the past few weeks Loki had just stopped showing up completely. What once were small sporadic appearances, drinking coffee at a bistro in Paris, or picking up flowers at a shop downtown, had stopped. Hell, they couldn't even be sure if Loki wasn't visiting Earth. He might have found a way to mask his form and his energy signature completely. Natasha hoped that wasn't the case, they couldn't have lost their first lead so soon.

It was easy to see everyone was on edge, and why shouldn't they have been? This was Loki. They still weren't sure if this was some kind of scheme. They couldn't be sure of anything and _that_ was what was driving Natasha up the wall. It was one thing not to know what you're enemy is planning, but it was another not to know anything at all. Damn…it was so much easier reading Loki when he was back on SHIELD headquarters in their custody. This was like reading book with no words.

"Damn it. Thor, there's gotta be something we're missing." Steve said, nearly shouting. His voice filled the room like thunder…it even made Thor jump.

"I am sorry captain, but I do believe my brother is without scheme this time. What exactly does he have to gain?"

"Driving us all nuts." Hawkeye said, his arms folded over his chest like armor.

"Let's go back to what we do know." Natasha said, "He said he needed a change, and when he said that he looked as if he were afraid." Natasha tapped her finger against the desk. "Is he running away from something? And what about that cat. Why would a megalomaniac get a cat?"

"I dunno Widow, he kind of seems like a cat person to me." Tony's lips curved into a sneer. "You know, all mopey and anti-social."

But that was just it. Loki wasn't being anti-social. He was being downright friendly. Even Thor took note of his sudden change of heart. But what could have been so drastic as to change the god of mischief?

"Thor," Natasha began, "Has Loki ever fallen in love with someone? Had a girlfriend…or a boyfriend?"

Thor's body tensed at the thought. "No, Loki's never been much in the way of love. Mother and I have asked him numerous times but he always says he has no interest in the affairs of the heart." Thor's eyes began to light up. "Why? Do you believe there is someone who holds my brother's attention?"

Tony had to hold back from chuckling, the light from his arc reactor made his face glow. They think Loki got a girlfriend? Come on! This was Loki. But as to why he had a cat was an interesting question. Everyday Pepper kept telling Tony that he should get some sort of pet, she says it'll teach him "responsibility", as if running a company and saving the world wasn't enough. But he knew that was just something she told him. In reality, she thought he was lonely. She thought having some kind of pet would help lighten the mood around his own home.

Could Loki have been lonely?

"We can't rule out that possibility, even if it does seem unlikely." Steve said.

Hawkeye shook his head. "I pity the chick who got stuck with him."

"Are there any other theories?" Natasha asked, hoping to finally draw this meeting to a close…they all needed showers.

"I have a question," Tony said, raising his hand like a school boy. "Say we do get Loki, and say we do finally get him into custody, and say he does have a girlfriend, how exactly are we gonna convince him to go back to his role as god of mischief?"

Steve stood straight up. "We'll just force him."

Tony leaned back again. "How?"

And then there was silence. How exactly were the going to convince someone to return to a position that made them unhappy? That'd be like trying to convince Tony to return to making weapons.

"Well, if he does have a girlfriend we can try and convince him that his actions are hurting her as well." Steve said as he slowly sat down.

"That is, assuming he has one. What if he doesn't?" Hawkeye asked.

"W-we'll just cross that bridge when we get to it."

They had been to that bridge multiple times and they were still nowhere near getting to the other side of it. What? Were they just going to beg Loki to return to trying to enslave mankind? Their only option was to hope that Loki had found someone in his life that made him happy…so they could guilt him somehow. It was dirty, but this was Loki after all.

"Now, how do we find him?" Came the question, they had been in that room for so long, it almost became impossible to distinguish one person's voice from another, hell, Jarvis could have asked the question for all they knew. It couldn't have been Earth (or at least they assumed not) and it couldn't have been Asgard, from what Thor told them if Loki had stepped foot on that terrain Odin would have known about it. So what was left?

Seven other realms, plus a whole multitude of worlds that they may have never heard of. Even if they had managed to locate which one Loki was one there was no way they could get there. Such travel required great magic, something Thor did not have.

"So our best course of action is really just waiting for the enemy to come to us?" Steve asked.

Natasha sighed. "There doesn't seem to be any other way."


	12. Chapter 12

"Friends." Thor walked into the kitchen, holding his stuffed alligator close to his chest. "I must away to Asgard. My father…" he paused, almost afraid to continue. "Has ordered me back. He has something urgent to speak of. Something that involves Loki."

No one spoke. They just nodded and returned to their breakfast. Of course Thor could understand, after all the grief his brother had caused them all the last thing he wanted to think about was Loki. He hoped this meeting would be brief.

Thor left the Avengers and flew into the sky, his hammer lighting his way. Traveling between dimensions was almost impossible, and the only way Thor could do that would be through his father Odin's great might…but even that had its limits, did it not?

Through a grand flash of light Thor found himself in the middle of the Asgardian square. The streets were completely empty. Thor surveyed the walls of the buildings and homes that littered Asgard. The once city of gold had lost its shine. The streets of his fare realm, once bursting with activity had now become empty. The whole place had somehow died. He ran, yes ran, to the palace. Maybe his father had some good news to tell him, maybe there was a way he could track down Loki and have him reverse all of this madness. Maybe everything would be normal again and the realms would return to their natural state, free and with a small spark that made life worth living again. Please, let it be so.

"Father." Thor said as he entered the throne room. He had moved so quickly through the streets of Asgard and the halls of the palace that they all seemed to blur into one. "Father, I am here."

There, across the vast throne room, sitting in his rightful place sat Odin, the All-father. The wise, the just, the ever-vigil. "My son." Odin's lips curved into a smile.

"I came as soon as I could father."

"Yes my son, I wanted to inquire on your mission to find your brother." Odin's face was long and sullen.

"I-I…yes. My comrades and I have seen him throughout Midgard."

"And?"

Thor hated that question. "And we are doing all we can to-"

"Clearly you are not doing enough." His voice filled the room, and was probably heard all the way to Jotunheim.

"Apologies father, but Loki has grown stronger and he-"

"Have you any mind to the havoc this is causing our people? Some of them have…some of them have lost the very will to live."

For the briefest of seconds, Thor's heart stopped. "What?"

"They stole away their own lives. Noble warriors brought low by…order."

Thor's fingers wrapped around his stuffed toy, whether he was clenching it out of shock or fear, he did not really know. "T-this can't be."

"It is my son. Loki has abandoned his role long enough. If you and your mortals are unable to bring him in as you are now, then we must use…stronger methods."

"W-wait father, we have a plan. We believe there is a maiden who holds Loki's heart. If we can discover-"

"That monster is unable to love anyone or anything but himself. No, we must bring him here, for the good of all the realms." Odin stood from his throne and glided over to a chamber hidden away in a corner. "We do not have any other option Thor."

Like magic, the small corner gave way to a shelf that Thor had only seen once, and the memory made his bones ache.

"Father…you must jest. There is no need to-"

"There is every need Thor."

There in the corner shimmered the most powerful relics in the nine realms. The Norn Stones. "You will use these to track down your brother, and you will bring him here, no matter the consequences."

"B-but father, you know what would happen if Loki is killed. Ragno-"

"Then bring him in alive. I do not care what needs to be done, but you will bring him to me." Odin's eye narrowed. "This has gone on long enough."

Thor knew that Loki inaction was causing a breakdown of everything, but he never thought that…their greatest warriors killed by their own hands? This…was impossible. No Asgardian would dare allow himself to perish outside of battle, let alone by their own sword. Loki, what madness had you brought? The norm stones shined in the distance, his father's eye glistening like a flame. He squeezed…and finally dropped his stuffed toy to the ground.

"I understand father." Thor bowed his head. Loki needed to be stopped. "No matter the consequences."


	13. Chapter 13

"So let me get this straight…Your dad gave you these stones and they're going to…what are they going to do?" Tony asked as he looked over each Norm stone.

"Man of Iron, there relics contain remnants of my father's power. It will make finding Loki all the easier."

"And with the added power boost, we should be able to take him out no problem." Natasha said as she looked over each stone one by one.

"Right, but how are we supposed to do this Natasha?" Tony asked. "They just look like rocks."

"Thor said that neither Odin nor anyone else could find Loki, but I think if we combine both Norm magic and technology we might have a better shot. Stark, if you can find some way to harness these stones to power up your Loki finder we'll be in business."

Thor's shoulders heaved. No matter the consequences. Loki's "vacation" was over.

"Then let's move."

Tony grabbed a norm stone, shook his head, and mumbled "There's no way this is gonna work." He walked over to his computer and began typing against his keyboard. "Maybe if I reconfigure this…and move that…"

And somehow, the stone began to glow.

Steve walked down the hall, his hands at his sides and his shield strapped to his back. They were going to find Loki. They were going to bring everything back to normal. That kid was going to get justice…everything would be right again. Wouldn't it?

"Ho Captain."

Steve's eyes shot from the walls to Thor's face, even from that distance Steve could see Thor's face heavy with indecision, weighing him down like armor.

"Captain, may we have words?"

Steve blinked. He knew what this was about. Even though Thor was fully loyal to stopping Loki's plan, Loki was still his brother. They were family. Steve wanted to be sympathetic. To lend an ear to his teammate, but he couldn't let himself be swayed even a little bit. Loki had gone too far this time and no matter what Thor said, he wouldn't let the task at hand be compromised.

"Thor, I don't think-"

"My brother must be stopped."

He didn't expect that. Not by a longshot.

"Wait, you're not on his side this time? You're always trying to bring him around, or convince us to give him another chance."

"Aye Captain, but this time, I must not allow my own feelings to dwarf my duty. My father gave me those orders, and I will fulfill them for the sake of all, as is my duty. But…" he shook his head. Steve could already guess.

"You're afraid your feelings, as much as you don't want them to, will interfere with your judgment."

Thor nodded.

Steve only smiled. "Don't worry friend. When it comes right down to it, I know you'll make the right decision. You always have."

"Hey guys." Tony's voice blazed through the intercom and filled the entire hallway, hell it probably filled the whole city. "I think I've finally got it."

Once again the Avengers assembled in the war room, but this time, the news was good…for a change.

"Alright, so I've finally got a handle on this magic crap." Tony said as he tapped against the keyboard. "Now, either this'll work, and increase the radius of the tracker a thousand fold…or it'll blow up and take out a few city blocks."

Steven winced at the thought. "And what are the chances of it being the former, rather than the latter?"

Tony shrugged. "We'll find out now." He pressed the button and then…

"Holy shit."

Every holographic image Stark had ever built began to light up like a fireworks display. Stars dotted the room like spots, planets, and realms, and worlds that dwarfed even their own sun, cruised through the air like clouds.

"This is an incredible sight." Thor mused. "All of the realms, and worlds, together..."

Natasha smirked. "There'll be no place for him to hide now."

And there, in all of the lights, and stars, one realm glowed red.

"That is the realm of Alfheim, the home of the elves."

Clint scoffed. "So the god of mischief lives with a bunch of elves now? Didn't see that commin'."

"Whatever, how do we get there?" Steve asked, his lips growing dry.

"I've thought of that." Tony said. "I figure if these rocks can power the tracker, then it can also power our jets to take us to where Loki is…theoretically, of course."

"Well, it's the best thing we've got now." Natasha slipped a strand of hair behind her ear. This was all going to end now. No more running away. No more desserts at six in the morning. No more amusement parks…and no more order. Loki's plans are over. "Suit up and let's go."


	14. Chapter 14

It was getting late. Despite the fact that Loki's new home had no windows, he could still tell when night was beginning to fall. He always could. Leon sat curled up in his lap, and hadn't moved for what seemed like minuets. Loki didn't have the heart to wake him and up.

The old amusement park was fun, Loki chuckled at the thought of Thor holding onto that stuffed alligator. Maybe next time the whole of the Avengers could come, even that guy with the eye patch. He seemed like he could use a little fun.

And then something changed.

Leon must have felt it as well, because his ears perked at the sound of…what was that? It had been sometime since Loki had hid himself away in Alfheim, so much so that the natural sounds of the realm simply became background noise to him. The wind through the trees, or the river against rocks, but this…this noise was foreign to this realm's soil.

"Midgardian." He gently grabbed Leon and placed him on the ground. "Stay here little one." He said in a quick whisper. He blinked twice, and was outside of his cave, with the distant sun sinking beneath the horizon. His dwelling sat atop a cliff that overlooked half the realm. He had chosen this spot, not for the strategic advantage, or the ability to gain intel on whoever dared to come looking for him, but for the view. In the morning light the dew on the grass shined like the jewelry from his mother's crown. The sun at noon reminded him of his brothers hair, and at night, the stars overhead made him dream of his father's eyes. He had learned long ago that he could never escape his family, or their influence on what he had become, so instead he decided to embrace it. If he could embrace a life without chaos, why could he not embrace a world that reminded him of his own family…adopted or otherwise.

Loki inched closer to the edge of the cliff, and his eyes widened.

"A…a jet?"

There in the distance sat one of the Midgardian flying machines he had seen so often. But how did it get here? Who could have possibly-

"So this is Alfheim?" A familiar voice bellowed, loud enough for Loki to hear.

Out stepped the man of iron, his armor plated across his chest. The stood the archer, and one by one they stepped out of the vessel.

"Aye Man of Iron. This is the realm of the elves."

"And this is where the tracer says Loki is."

Loki glanced down at an odd machine hooked onto Stark's armor. Did they…track him here? Even still, how did they get here? Such travel, especially without the bifrost, required so much magic that even Loki could only do it twice a day. Thor was no sorcerer, and even Odin had limits…so how did they manage to cross so many realms at once?

And then he sensed it. That pulse of magic that made his veins surge.

"…the stones."

In his youth Loki had heard tales of the Norn stones, relics of great power to be used only in the most dire of circumstances. Was he really worth all of that trouble? Even though his cloaking spell was in place, there was still no guarantee that he would be safe.

"That's strange." Tony said. "The tracker says Loki's to the east, but there's nothing there but…emptiness."

Loki took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly appeared outside of his home, and right in front of Stark and his device. They were going to find him anyway, so why not be a hospitable host?

"Hello Avengers."

"Never mind." Tony said.

"Loki! We have come to take you back." Thor said, his voice so loud it could have been heard back on Asgard.

"Brother, we've been through this."

"You're right brother, we have. And this is the last time we will speak of this matter because your games are over."

Natasha stepped forward. "We're taking you back by any means necessary." She leaned down and grabbed her gun from its holster. She cocked a smile, as if to say "Please make this hard."

The good captain grabbed his shield, and the archer strung his bow.

"Honestly, all of this fuss because you want chaos?" Loki asked.

"No brother," Thor's eyes squinted. "We want the balance back. We want free will back. We want everything that your schemes took from us back."

What scheme?

"And now that we have these stones, it'll be easy. Even those extra powers of yours won't be able to measure up. So do yourself a favor and surrender."

Loki tried not to laugh. There was no doubt in the stones' power, but even if he did surrender, it would not yield the results they wanted.

"And if I don't?"

Captain America smiled. "Avengers…take him."

And like a trumpet signaling an army, each of them attacked ; Arrows flying like falcons, and bullets whizzing past Loki's ears. Though, nothing touched him of course. Loki weaved in and out. He danced through unova beams, and dodged hammers as if they were snowballs.

"Surround him on both sides." Steve said. But it was no good. Even if they could box him in, he would just find a way to escape.

"This isn't working." Natasha said as she laid down some cover fire. "We need a better strategy."

"The stones." Steve said. On their way here, Tony had told them that he had also found a way to hook the stones to his unova beam, but the results were untestable and completely unstable. He was sure it would be enough to stop Loki, but he did not know the after affects. Well, this wasn't the time to play it safe. It was them or him.

"Stark, that weapon. Use it."

Stark's eyes grew wide. "Are you crazy Capt.? We have no idea what it'll do."

"Look, we can't take any more chances. We've got to take this joker down. Do it!"

And with that his chest began to charge.

"Thor…try to hold him still for us."

Thor nodded, and like lightning he was by his brother's side.

"Thor I-"

"Hold thy tongue brother." Thor seized Loki before the trickster could even blink, his huge arms around Loki's chest. Too strong to break free. Man of Iron's chest was glowing, Loki felt the stones' power pulsing through every last cell in his body. Energy like that was almost…frightening.

"I am sorry it had to come to this my brother."

Was this moron serious? With both of them locked like this, Thor would be hurt as well. Did he not realize this? Did the great warrior not understand that he too was vulnerable to the stone's power?

"…Thor, I won't let you get hurt."

With one last magic trick Loki blinked himself and his brother out of harm's way, seconds before the beam could touch either one of them.

But it came at a great cost.

Stark and the stone's power shattered through Loki's cloaking spell, dispelling the illusion. The beam crushed into the mountainside and set the sky ablaze…and then…

"…no." The place he had called home was gone, vaporized before him. "…Leon?" He flew up towards the mountain top. All that was left was rubble. His books were in tatters, his chair a smoking ash, and there, beneath the rubble and stone, laid his cat's body.

"…Leon."

Loki tried every healing spell he knew. Every charm, every incantation, ever language that magic hid itself in…but it was all for nothing.

His cat never stirred.


	15. Chapter 15

He should of killed them all. He should have spread his wrath across all the realms in a display of pure hatred. He should have released all the creatures of Hel on every last mortal and Aesir that even dreamed of pursuing him…

But he didn't.

His home in ruins, his one companion dead in his arms…and he did not seek vengeance. He simply stood, Iron Man's glowing arm at his back, Thor's mighty hammer at his side, the Captain's shield ready to be thrown…and then he vanished like a candle in a storm.

"Damn…not again. Tony get ready to track him again." Steve said…this was getting tiresome.

Loki reappeared on top of Stark Tower, the very place everything began. He peered over the edge and watched the empty streets. There was not a car to be found. Either way…he knew what needed to be done, and nothing was going to stop him. Not this time.

Loki placed his hand over Leon's head. "Sleep easy my friend." There was a spell he knew of. One he came across in his younger years…one that, back then at least, was too powerful even for him.

But not anymore.

"I don't understand it." He said as he raised his hands to the sky…his power gathering to his fingertips. "Was this not what they wanted? Was this not what they told me to strive for?"

Was it not peace that drove those warriors to fight? What of peace? What of order and chaos? What is the purpose of fighting at all when the life you want can never be had? Even under the most docile terms?

He began to speak, a language so ancient that even he could not decipher it. He had heard, in his younger years, the story of the ancient monster. The tale taught to anyone who would listen and take heed. Yet, what was the point of a story that would never be remembered? What was the use of a trickster god that had forsaken his role?

He couldn't change, not for lack of trying…

"…but because they don't want me to."

Was there no end to Thor's idiocy? Was there no quenching Odin's resolve for ruining everything Loki had?

He looked back to his cat, lying dead on the tower floor.

If he were the old him, he would have sworn vengeance. He would have cursed the very realm Thor sought to protect…but what was the point in that? He did not want revenge, he wanted to start anew. He did not want blood, but a chance to learn how to live.

Everything was rising now. He felt his own blood burn.

"Yet, life is something I am not allowed." He had already made up his mind. "Peace is a luxury I am not afforded."

He looked back to his cat and frowned. "A luxury we are not afforded, little friend."

And then, like the sun rising to the sky, his own power floated to the sky. He stretched his arms out and closed his eyes.

"So be it."

And then, as if by some cruel design, the Avengers appeared through some portal, their, air craft hovering overhead like a vulture. How appropriate.

"Loki" he heard Natasha shout over the intercom. "Stop what you're doing and give yourself up."

Their ship landed and they popped out like rats.

"Loki free…what the hell is that?" The Man of Iron asked.

"Brother," Thor walked towards Loki, his shoulders broad, and his chest pumped out like armor. "What madness have you wrought?" His voice was so commanding, like thunder across a blue sky.

"Loki, give yourself up." The archer pulled his arrow across his chest.

"Thor," Loki said, almost too silently to hear. "It would appear that no matter where I go, no matter what I do, I am not afforded a chance at peace."

"Loki, what are-"

"No brother, you and your comrades have made everything quite clear to me. You will go to great lengths just to protect your own peace, even if that means sacrificing your own ideals." He looked towards his cat.

"Reindeer games, I'm gonna give you to the count of three to-"

"Fret not, Man of Iron, for everything shall be over long before then. I do not wish to pursue chaos, I do not wish to bring harm to you or any of the realms, but apparently that goes against the role you and your band have written for me."

"Loki, enough of this foolishness."

Behind him, the spell was growing larger, and crawling nearer.

"Thor, my brother, I do not want this role, and I shall revoke it…the only way I know how."

And then, in a flash of light, Loki's body and everything else was engulfed in a cool, blinding light…

"Goodbye Thor."

…and then he was gone.


	16. Chapter 16

"What just happened?" Steve asked.

There they were, the mighty Avengers, standing above Stark Tower, and their greatest enemy just…what did he do?

"Brother?" Thor said as he stepped further. He peered over the edge, there was no body. Just an empty street. "Man of Iron…where did he flee off to?"

Tony punched some buttons on his suit. "JARVIS…answer the man." The AI scanned…and scanned…and scanned.

"Signature not found."

"Well, increase the search…check the whole universe." He rolled his eyes. Was this really Loki's last ditch effort? To turn tail and run? It's just like that coward to run away." Tony said.

"Signature not found."

…what?

Natasha shook her head. "Maybe he's just cloaking his signature again."

Thor's chest heaved. "Nay, my brother has tricks, but even he could not think of a scheme to hide himself from the stones so quickly…he…"

"Wait, wait wait." Hawkeye said as he placed his bow back into its holster. "What are you saying? That he's…"

"N-no…this is Loki we're talking about. There's no way he'd just up and quit without a backup plan…right?" Tony felt himself shake. Right? "Let's just get back home and look this over. JARVIS recorded everything, maybe we can figure out where he went."

And they did. The ride back home was short and silent. Natasha shifted in her seat, and Steve…his face softened. He stared out the window and never said a word.

And then they returned home.

"L-let's get back to the war room." Stark's voice wavered…the man could take on space monsters without batting an eye, but this had him shook up.

The war room seemed darker since the last time they were there.

"So…he's dead?" Steve asked.

Tony continued to scan every realm he could think of…and some that probably didn't even exist. " We don't know that. There's no body and-"

"Stark, it looks like the guy offed himself." Hawkeye leaned back into his chair. "What do you think Thor?"

The god of thunder only sat in his chair. He hadn't said a word since they got back. "I…I do not know archer. I…I must tell father of this…all of Asgard…I…"

"Hold on, now that Loki's dead what exactly does this mean for everything else?" Steve asked. "With Loki gone…what's gonna happen to the order?"

Thor shook his head. "I do not know." His spine began to shiver. He might not have known what the fates had in store for all of them, but he did have a good idea. When he was a child he learned of Ragnorak, he had heard awful tales of fire and destruction, so great that not even the mightiest of warriors could stand up to it. Yet, as he grew he learned that Ragnorak was more than just a large battle…it was the end of everything itself…and that included balance.

In their younger years Thor remembered his tutors had tried to explain that the end could come in many different ways, more than just fire and brimstone, but in silence and darkness. The end could come in a silent whisper. No epic ballads, no great tales…just the end.

"Friends, I must go and tell father…maybe there is something we can do."

Steve nodded. "Yes, maybe there's something he missed. We can track down Loki and go from there."

Tony shook his head. "And what if there's nothing to track down Capt.?"

Hawkeye shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

And so Thor was off to the realm eternal…hopefully the All-father would have the answers they sought.

In no time at all he reached the realm eternal…even with Loki's sudden…disappearance, there had been no change. The streets were still empty, the shutters still shut, and everything was still at peace. It made Thor uneasy.

When he reached the castle, he only sighed and continued on, passing the halls his brother used to walk through, and the chambers his brother used to hide in. How could all of this have gone so wrong?

"Father?" Thor called as he walked through the throne room.

"Thor. You have returned." Odin sat on his throne and leaned forward. "Did you catch the trickster and bring him to us?"

Thor felt his knees buckle. "I am afraid not father. Loki has…disappeared."

Odin's eye grew wide. "What do you mean disappeared?"

Thor recounted the tales of his brother and the Avengers, how the man of iron used his science with the stones to track down his brother. How they found him in Alfheim, how they fought and how he resisted, and finally, how he met his end.

"Father, what do we do? Without Loki the balance will never be resolved."

"Yes my son, I am aware." Odin never expected Loki to go so far as to leave the life behind. That pathetic coward, this must have been his scheme the whole time. Ruin the balance and then finish himself in a display of pure pettiness. Regardless, Odin had to forget about that trickster for now.

"Isn't there someone else who can take up his role?" Thor asked. "Maybe-"

"Thor, do not be so foolish. You know that is not how these things function."

"But Ragno-"

"I know of it Thor!" Odin's voice filled the throne room. "I am well aware of that. But do not fret my son. I know of another way…but we must be vigilant."

Odin smiled. Loki was gone…but at the same time…

"Father?"

"I shall tell Heimdall to watch the realms with more vigilance than ever. He may be alive, but the chance is slight. We must hope he is, otherwise all is lost."

"Father? What do you mean? Loki is dead."

Odin only closed his one eye. "Yes Loki is dead. But there is a chance he may be alive once more."


	17. Chapter 17

…and somehow he found he found himself against a firm mattress, with the smell of white linen and phlegm in the air. It stunk like normalcy but comforted like something that was new and his alone.

"He's regained consciousness."

And then he learned what hearing was.

"Sir, can you open your eyes? Do you know where you are?"

Could he open his eyes? Had his eyes ever opened before this point? Had his ears ever heard before? Then slowly, like an infant learning to begin, he opened his eyes. Everything was white, white sheets wrapped around him, white walls enclosing him, and white beings glowing in the light. What was this place?

"Sir, do you know where you are?"

He shook his head.

"You're in a hospital." The being placed his hand on his own chest, "I am Dr. Stewart. Can you tell me what your name is?"

He shook his head. He closed his eyes and tried to remember, but every time he did he felt a cold emptiness inside of his head. Nothing was there, not even a name by which to call himself.

The doctor turned to one of his colleagues, (a lady in a blue shirt) "Subject is a John Doe. No injuries." She nodded her head, and turned away.

"Hey listen sir, we're going to help you alright?"

He looked down to his hands…large hands that felt more like spiders than parts of him. "John Doe?" He whispered, "That's my name? John Doe?"

The doctor's face turned red. "I-uh no, that's just the term we use whenever we have people who have no ID. You have a name, but until you can remember we'll just use 'John Doe' as a marker."

He smiled and ran his hands against his face. He felt it, the sharp lines of his jaw, the short hair that tickled his fingertips, the small nose that probably looked strange in-between his eyes.

"Can I have a mirror?"

The doctor smiled, and reached over to the desk and pulled out a mirror. "Don't worry, you're not hideous. In fact, some of the nurses think you're pretty handsome. Especially Nurse Nancy, she's got a thing for red-heads."

Red-head?

He gazed at his face in the mirror. Blue eyes and a red filled with hair as orange as autumn leaves. He had never seen this face before.

"I…I…"

"Let me guess, you don't recognize yourself? Don't worry that's normal. You'll get your memories back in time, but til then we'll take care of you here." Doctor Stewart smiled and placed his hand against the man's shoulder.

But that wasn't it. It wasn't that he felt that his face wasn't recognizable to himself, it was that he'd never seen it before. Everything to him was strange. Strange hair, strange eyes, strange hands that felt like a stranger.

"How did I get here?"

Stewart sighed, "We were hoping you could tell us, but seeing your current condition, I can tell that won't be possible. Well, you were brought in here by one of our ambulances out in an alley. You were," the good doctor tried not to laugh, "naked."

Like the day you were born.

"We thought you might have been robbed, but there were no markings on you, and not only that but crimes been down for a while now. Anyway you've been out for a few days."

He nodded. John Doe. Just a pseudonym, an empty mask for a man with no past. And so the days went by. Nurses came into his room to talk to him, bring him flowers, doctors checked up on him every day, they even brought flashcards with different names on them.

"Hector?" Dr. Stewart asked.

"No, that doesn't sound familiar." He would say.

"How about Carry?"

He shook his head.

"Vince?"

No again.

They had been at this game for days, name after name, possibility after possibility.

"Luke?"

And then it struck him.

"What was that doctor?"

"…Luke? Does that name sound familiar?"

And he reached far back into his mind, past the darkness, past the emptiness, past the earliest thing he could remember, the day he learned to begin, and he felt…nothing.

"No doc, it doesn't ring a bell. But I do really like that name."

Stewart shrugged, maybe it was his middle name, perhaps the name of a friend, or a father, either way it was a start.

"I take it you like this name more than John Doe right?"

He nodded.

"Alright…Luke it is then."

And Luke he was. Days turned to weeks, and Luke was allowed out of his bed. He explored the hospital, he talked with the nurses, and took his lunch outside the building on a bench in the sun. He learned what it meant to eat spaghetti with a fork, and drink coffee with a straw, and gaze up to the stars, and soon, whatever came before became irrelevant…if it ever was important at all.

"Have you heard about that John Doe guy?"

"You mean the one we found naked? Yeah. I hear he goes by Luke now."

"Is that his name?"

"No, he just likes it more. Dr. Stewart's taken a liking to him."

"The entire hospital's taken a liking to him. I've never seen a patient so…sunny. He brightens up the place."

"Yeah, it's pretty great, but we still gotta find his family. I mean they've gotta be worried sick."

"That's the thing, there haven't been any missing person ads matching his description. No birth records no nothing. It's just…like he never existed."

Strange.

The day finally came when Luke was discharged. He still had no identity, no home, but he wanted to leave…he wanted to live. Desperately even, as if something was calling for him to take hold. The nurses and doctors all urged him to stay. It was dangerous, he still had no job or place to live. What if whatever brought him there in the first place returned and did far worse? Yet, those were all risks Luke wanted to take…he had to.

Doctor Stewart used his connections to get Luke a job as a cashier at a bakery. It was a hard sell with no documentation that he could work legally, but somehow Luke managed to get the job. Maybe it was the fact that the owner had finally decided to give up on the idea of a bakery, or maybe it was because the place was so understaffed that anyone willing to even apply was a godsend. Either way, the job was Luke's. And down the street of Jefferson there was a place for him to stay (and the rent was manageable.) The place was small, in fact, Luke was pretty surprised anyone could even fit in it. The kitchen, the living room, and the bedroom was all one area. Just a wooden floor with a stove and something that could pass as a mattress.

But that didn't matter, because it was all his.

"Welcome home Luke."


	18. Chapter 18

Luke sat against the park bench and stared at the moon above. The air smelled of cut grass and the stars looked like fireflies. Ever since he moved into his apartment (the very idea of something being his made his lips stretch into a smile) he had had trouble sleeping. Most nights he would stare out his window and look out to the city. The empty streets, the warm air, the trees that looked like people in the far off distance. How could he sleep through anything so…wonderful?

There was no telling how long he was out before he was found, and there was no telling how long ago he had lost his own identity…but did that really matter? Night after night, he found himself wandering the streets of New York just…exploring. Looking at the neon signs at the end of Jefferson street made his insides glow. The humming of some distant air conditioner he couldn't find filled the alleyways. Somehow he found himself at the park near the hospital.

He scolded himself, he should go back home (that word made him smile, but he never understood why) he had work in the morning. He leaned back against the bench and stared at the moon. He should get some sleep…but the night was too pretty to sleep through.

"Meow."

He heard a soft cry coming from the far end of the park.

"H-hello?" Luke called out. He ran his fingers through his red hair and stood up. "Is anyone there?" He looked out into the distance, and in the night he swore he saw something move. Something small, and black inching across the grass.

Dr. Stewart tried to get Luke to join some kind of support group, or some kind of hotline. He thought Luke needed a little help in beginning a new life. Some advice on where to start looking for who he was.

"Doc, I love ya' but I'm not really in any hurry for something like that." He had tried to tell Dr. Stewart before, but he didn't know how to phrase it. Hell, he didn't really understand it himself that much either. Ever since he awoke, got a job, and a home, the last thing he thought about was who he was before any of that happened, in fact, he wasn't too sure there was a "before" to return to.

"Luke, don't you think your family is missing you? Don't you think there's someone out there who may want to see you again?"

Stewart always asked those questions. What is there is someone waiting for you? What if there is someone who misses you? What if there is someone who needs you? But every answer Luke came up with was, "And what if there isn't?"

Luke got up from his bench and slowly walked over to the small creature moving across the grass.

"Hello there."

It was a small black cat…no, cat wasn't the word. Kitten was. The thing was so small Luke could probably hold it in his hands.

"Meow." It's voice was so soft. Luke looked around, a kitten this small was too young to be all alone, wasn't it? The mother had to be somewhere, or perhaps it belonged to someone else? Luke slowly bent down and ran his fingers against the kitten's fur.

_Who are you little one?_

…it all seemed so…

He scooped the little thing into his hands.

"Where's your mother little guy?"

…familiar.

Sometimes Luke would go the library and look up stories about amnesia victims and how they coped. Each book was filled with tales about men and women who fought tooth and nail to recover who they once were. Their old lives, and their old friends.

"This idea of trying to find who I am was the only thing keeping me going." One of the books read. Even Dr. Stewart said it was normal for someone in Luke's condition to try and find out all they could about who they were.

"But what if you don't care?" He wanted to ask. "What if the only thing you want to do is live?" He wanted to ask. "What if the idea of knowing who you were before is almost…"

…a burden?

Luke held the kitten close to his chest. "Don't worry little guy, we're going to find your mom and everything'll be good." Luke sighed he knew what this creature was feeling. Lost and alone in a strange world, with only the help of a stranger to guide him through.

_We're cut from the same cloth…_

Sometimes he'd go to a cybercafé and surf the web. The smell of Lattes and creamer felt like a blanket…one of the new things he wanted to be around forever. Sometimes he'd type in amnesia, other times he'd type in different cake recipes, and even still he'd type in different books he may want to read, and something about the Avengers, and park benches that he may want to sit on, and pies that he may want to try someday.

And then somehow he came across a site about lost loved ones…

Luke held the kitten close to his chest. He looked down street corner, in trash cans, across alleys, looking for a cat this kitten may have wandered away from.

"Does any of this look familiar kitty?"

The little thing only looked at him and yawned.

"Yeah…I'm getting pretty tired too. But I'm not leaving until I find your mom, there's no way I'm letting a kid like you go without a home."

_A handsome devil like this?_

Online he had read somewhere that close spirits always found a way back to each other. Lovers found their way back, family members reunited, old friends catching up to chat…and the same thing was true in death.

Luke had been searching for hours, and the sun was rising over the horizon. He had been out all night again, and he wasn't any closer to finding this kitten's family…if he even had one.

Luke looked down, the kitten's eyes were like the moon at midnight. What if this little guy was the only one left of his family?

"Meow."

Luke gazed down at the little cat in his arms, he felt its fur against his palms, and its head against his chest.

"You know kitty. I get the feeling…something like this has happened before. As if this is…just like old times. You get me?"

The cat blinked

"Meow."

Even in death, spirits can find their way back to one another…if their connection is strong enough. Even across time, two creatures can be reunited…if the fates are kind enough.

_Old friend…_

"Well," Luke scuffed his shoes against the street corner. "Since you don't seem to have a family, and I don't have a family…maybe we could be each other's…family."

_I've missed you._

The cat rubbed its head against Luke's chest.

"I'll take that as a yes." He smiled and wrapped the kitten in his shirt…the night air was getting chilly. This little cat, this creature who he met by chance, was his new family; something new to start with and build upon, something to signify the start of a new life, and the remembrance of one gone by. Two spirits who defied death.

"Not to go too fast into our relationship or anything, but you really look like a Leon to me."


	19. Chapter 19

"Wait, what did you just say?" Steve leaned against the doorframe. Thor had just returned from Asgard and his face was redder than the German flag.

"Loki…has returned."

Steve snapped his fingers. He knew it. He knew that light show was all an act.

"So, Reindeer-games is still alive." Tony's voice came blaring through the intercom and could be heard all throughout the house…and probably through most of downtown too. Figures he was using his tech to eavesdrop…that reminded Steve to have a talk with the billionaire about boundaries.

"Everyone come to the war room and we'll discuss it further."

And so earth's mightiest heroes assembled again, Natasha's hair had grown longer since they last came together. Since crime was so low there was no need for her to fight, no need for her to change her appearance to infiltrate enemy territory. There was no need for her at all…so why even bother?

"How exactly is reindeer games back? I mean we all saw it…he just…died." That word hung in the air like mist. Thor closed his eyes. How could Loki have done something so…cowardly? The All-father had said this was all a part of some plan, some greater scheme by his brother. Thor didn't want to believe that. Loki had done horrible deeds, but nothing so loathsome as this, as stealing away his own life. But the more Thor thought of it, and the more his saw his brother's face bathed in the light from his own spell, the more Thor thought his father's words might be true. Loki had been seized by madness, who's to say this was not some scheme to bring misery to them all? The thought could not be dismissed.

"Yes man of Iron, Loki did meet his end by his own hand. But there are…workings…that are beyond even my knowledge, and that of many Asgardians. My brother was gone, but my father believes he may be alive once more."

Tony blinked. "You mean like reincarnation?"

Thor nodded. "I believe my brother to be alive." Thor paused, his heart began to pound in his chest. Loki may be alive…but was it the fear of his treachery that made his stomach churn, or the hope that maybe, just maybe he could see his brother's eyes again. "We shall find him at once."

"Good plan Thor, but there's a big problem." Tony clapped his hands twice and like magic a hologram filled the air. Steve, Natasha and the others leaned in close, this ought to be good. "If he has been reincarnated and he's on this planet, and that's a big if, there's no way we can track him. My patented Loki finder can't get a lock on any kind of signal. It's like all of that magic is gone."

Of course that made sense, if Loki were alive again there'd be no way he'd be able to access any of his powers, at least not yet, so naturally there'd be no signature to track. Natasha's eyes narrowed. There was also the added fact that Loki being reincarnated didn't mean he'd be a freaking human. According to certain beliefs humans are reincarnated into their next life based off of their previous lives actions. If you're a dick in a previous life you come back as a cockroach. Hell, Loki could have already been squashed by some large boot by now.

That idea made Natasha smirk. It'd serve him right.

"So what do we do?" Clint asked. He kept his face cold, but Natasha could see right through him. He still had a score to settle with Loki for making him his personal mind puppet. Out of everyone's reaction to Loki's "death" Clint seemed to take it the hardest…mainly because if someone were to do Loki in, he wanted it to be him, not some shining ball of light.

"We do what we always do. We find the bad guy, and we take him down." Steve said, his chin high in the air. Steve squinted his eyes. He had sworn to take down evil wherever it was, and Loki had come back, they had to hunt him down and bring him in.

"Hold on Capt." Tony said. "Why does it matter anymore? I mean, even if he is back why do we have to catch him? I mean the order is beginning to subside…kind of…I mean just last week I heard some kids playing outside…for a brief and shining second."

"Yes friend Stark, my father has taken note of that as well, but he knows, as well as I, that things shall soon revert to their form of before Loki's…disappearance." Even after all this time Thor still couldn't say death. "We were granted a brief interlude from the order's tyranny, but that will not last much longer."

Natasha leaned back in her chair, she too had noted some semblance of chaos returning, but the sightings were brief and now they seemed to have stopped completely. She had theories, perhaps Loki's suicide spell caused the chaos to return for a small intermission. Perhaps this was still part of some horrid plan to take all of them out. Shit, she was so bored thinking up theories about Loki was the only thing that was keeping her mind sharp.

"Alright, so how do we find him? Could we use the stones again? Or maybe some kind of face recognition." Steve rubbed his palm against his chin. "Tony, can we do anything?"

Tony shrugged. All of this was so out of his element. He didn't even know reincarnation was a thing until five minutes ago. And there were so many theories about it that made no sense. Loki could literally be anyone or anything, no matter what age, or what species. But despite the challenge, he cocked his eyebrow. "I'll think a' something."

He was a genius after all.

Steve nodded. "Good. Everyone else, I want us to start training. We don't know what's gonna be thrown at us, so we need to be ready for anything."

"And if he decides to off himself again?" Clint asked.

"Don't worry. He won't be doing that this time. I'll make sure of it." Steve felt a small flame flicker in his chest, growing like fire across a forest. Natasha could see it in his eyes…and she smirked.

He won't escape this time.


	20. Chapter 20

The bakery was becoming busier by the day. What once was a small trickle of customers had grown into lake. Luke never really understood how the shop managed to grow so quickly, even the manager was starting to take notice.

The store became filled with women looking for bread, and men trying to find cakes for their kids' birthdays. The oven was the busiest Luke had ever seen it.

"I need a chocolate éclair to go please." Luke called out from behind the register. He turned and smiled, "I'll be right out."

It was frightening almost; the store was almost becoming chaotic…almost. Ever since Luke started working at that cake shop customers have been coming in regularly, some of the other bakers joked that it was because of Luke's red hair. "Ladies loved the red hair." Luke heard someone say as he was cleaning off the tables.

"Luke," his manager turned up behind him and smiled. Luke almost felt bad because he never did learn his boss' name. The man was lean and slender, pale like a fresh cigarette, and had teeth that looked like they could chomp through steel.

"Yes sir?"

"I don't know what it is that you're doing, but keep it up. The place was never this busy before you came." Boss patted Luke on the shoulder. "And here I thought you'd be some kind a' flake." He chuckled.

Soon the customer base grew, shit, the manager was so happy he swore he'd kiss Luke on the friggin' mouth if business kept up like this.

"I just don't get it…how does Luke do it?"

"What do ya' mean?"

"This place was dead before he showed up…and now…it's like the only place where people can be…I dunno…"

"Free? Is that what you mean?"

"Yeah! I mean, I haven't felt this good in years! It's like there's a little spice to life whenever Luke is around, don't ya think? Like he just breaks up the monotony somehow."

"Yeah…how the fuck does he do that?"

"Don't know, don't care, just hope he keeps it up. It's keepin' us in business."

And after his long day, Luke dragged himself back home. His heavy apartment door slammed against the wall.

"Hey roommate, I'm home."

A small little kitten looked up from the mattress. "Meow."

It had been a few weeks since Luke had found Leon, and already that little fur ball was everywhere. Whenever Luke came back home, the little cat would jump from the bed and rub its face all over his leg, as if to say "Never leave me again."

Luke plopped down onto the bed and took his shoes off, one after the other.

"Work's been pretty awesome lately. Maybe next time I'll take you with me."

Leon licked his paws. "Meow." Leon curled up closer to Luke and rested his head against a warm knee.

"I take it your day went well." Luke rubbed his cat's stomach, and felt watched as his little friend yawned. "You know, most customers are always asking if I have a girlfriend or not. I keep wanting to say no…but I'm not too sure myself."

The cat yawned again, and blinked. "Meow."

"Some of the guys at work tell me I should try to go out on a date once in a while. What do you think? I-I mean…should I?"

No answer.

What the hell would he say on a date? "I'm Luke, I have no family or memory and I spend my days talking to a kitten."

Luke scratched his friend behind the ears. Well…he was a pretty cute kitten. Sweet too…and often gave nice advise in the form of licking himself. But still…

"Well, the bakery has been doing well, and I have enough income to at least start adding a little furniture to the place." Luke looked around his apartment. He had been there for months now, but the place looked exactly like it did when he first moved in. Bare and empty.

"Maybe a chair for us to sit in? Or how about some posters to brighten the place up a little? Sky's the limit man."

Well…the sky and his bank account.

"I could even get you a proper toy to play with instead of old shoe strings."

He scratched behind Leon's ears again, and the little kitty purred.

"Yeah. I like that idea too."

The Avengers weren't having any luck. Tony had said he'd be able to find Loki…or whatever he was now, but that was proving difficult. No, scratch that, it was impossible. There might have been a chance Loki still had his magic, but the signature was so small there was no way it could be track. He tried to use the stones to get a bigger signal, but it always ended in the same way.

"Signature not found."

Shit, he hated magic. The rules kept fucking changing. He should be able to hone in on a power source and find it, but no, that power source decided to off himself, and now everything and every plan Tony had before was completely useless. He tried to ask Thor more information, something he could use to find whatever body Loki came back as, but all he got was a big "The ways of sorcery are mysterious to us all friend Stark. Its laws have all the consistency of air."

Wonderful.

Even worse…Steve had been riding them all day. Hours of training, fight simulations, and every half-hour Steve kept coming in and asking-

"You find him yet Tony?"

That sound made him cringe. He sighed and shook his head. "No Stars and Stripes, not yet." Even though Steve was trying to hide it, Tony could tell he was getting angry. Stressed even. Jesus, seeing that kid executed must have really done a number on Capt., but Tony never thought he'd take it this far. Steve was the hero. Steve was the patient one, but when it came to Loki…

"Capt. I got a question for you?"

Steve raised his eyebrow. "Shoot."

"What is with you lately? I mean don't get me wrong, I want freedom back as much as the next guy, but it seems like everyone has been getting a little bit…edgy."

Steve sighed. His body trembled in the low light of Tony's lab. "You didn't see that kid's face."

Tony had to fight hard not to roll his eyes. "Look, we get it, but people die every-"

"No! This was different. That kid didn't even have any fight in him at all. It was like…" his voice dropped to a whisper. "Like he didn't have any spirit to him at all. Like he was dead before he was even captured." Steve's fist clenched, and his jaw tightened like a string put through too much stress. "All I ever wanted was to keep people free. To fight against tyranny so that others can enjoy freedom. But thanks to Loki's little stunt none of that matters anymore. People aren't free. No one's free. Not even us. I mean, how long until the order starts to affect us? Then who'll be left to stop all of this?"

And then Tony's stomach turned. With all of this hunting he had forgotten that the order threatened them as well. Shit, he completely removed it from his mind. He was Iron Man for Christ's sake. He took missiles in the chest, got up and got coffee. But still…he was only a man, just like all of the others who lost who they were. How long until their freedom was taken away by this order? How long until they all marched to a peaceful beat that slowly zapped them of the will to even fight back? At first Tony only wanted to find Loki because that was what heroes do…they stop evil...at any cost, right? But if they can't fight back, who will?

Shit, he hated when Steve made sense.

"Fine, fine. I'll work harder." But he still didn't think it would do any good.

"Good." Steve said, "And when you're done be back in the gym, I want you ready for whatever that trickster throws at us. We can't assume he's lost _all_ of his power, or his intelligence. We need to be ready for anything."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N I'm very sorry it took so long to update…things got a little hectic.**

"So, what do we have?" Luke walked down the third aisle of the grocery store, passed the chocolate syrup and looked for anything he could use to make something edible. He had realized that, lately, he had only been eating take out. He wouldn't have noticed at all if some of the customers from the bakery didn't keep hounding him about his eating habits. "Hey Luke, you been eating right? You seem a little scrawny."

He chuckled to himself. He turned the corner and walked down the bread aisle. A few days ago he had managed to buy a few new chairs for his apartment granted, they were fold out chairs, but it was something that added a little character to his home. Something that said, "Someone lives here."

He grabbed a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and some milk and decided that would be enough. Peanut butter is filling right? He shrugged his shoulders, made his purchase, and started his journey back home. The sun was setting beneath the skyscrapers and the trees seemed to wind down, as if they were too damn jaded to care anymore.

He knew the feeling. His boss, he friends at work, even the customers, were always asking him this one thing. "Do you remember anything yet?" Sometimes his co-workers would quiz him on trivia just to see if it would jog anything.

"What about skiing? Do you know anything about that?" One would ask.

He only shake his head.

"Alright, well you're clearly great with people, maybe you were a salesman. Does that ring any bells?"

Again, he shook his head.

Then one by one they'd sigh and go back to their duties, leaving Luke alone with only his thoughts.

Was it bad that he didn't care about any of that?

He shoved his key into the door, and walked into his apartment, and for once, the place looked like it held a human being. There was a ball of yarn loose in the corner and a little ball of fur curled up next to it.

Luke smiled. "Roommate I'm home."

Leon didn't stir. Ever since he got his little friend some toys Leon seemed happier, healthier, and more tired. Well, he was still growing, little guy needed his exercise.

Luke placed his groceries on the counter. "You know buddy, I'm starting to feel bad about all of this." He took out the bread, and peanut butter.

"Doc, the customers, my boss, everyone says that I shouldn't worry about my memory and that it'll come back soon, but…I don't really want it back."

Luke tried to imagine someone…anyone, looking for him, missing him, wanting him back (whoever he was before) but every time he tried…the image just felt false, as if it were a lie he were telling himself.

He opened the peanut butter with a quick twist.

"I mean, is that wrong? I just can't shake the feeling that I'm not missed," he took out two slices of bread, "But the funny thing is…I'm totally okay with that."

He spread his peanut butter against his slices of bread and then, quicker than his cat could blink, flopped onto his mattress.

"You don't think that's weird right roomie?"

"Sir?" Jarvis' voice rang throughout Tony's ears. He could barely move. Steve had been working the team so hard that even his sore muscles had sores. Now, Tony didn't want to call Steve a Nazi, especially considering his history and status as a soldier…but the way he had been acting as of late made Tony want to rethink the good captain's moniker.

"What Jarvis…and make it snappy, your voice is making me sides hurt."

"While I have not found any trace of the magic signature, I have been noticing strange occurrences in the New York area. "

Tony propped himself up from his bed and onto his elbow. "What do you mean?"

"This bakery a few miles away was on the verge of going out of business, but recently the business has picked up significantly, in fact it's gaining in popularity at a rate that is unheard of."

Tony leaned back and thought. If anyone should have known about something like that it should have been him…but then again, Steve pretty much kept them under lock and key with the training, he wasn't even sure what day it was.

"So what? You think this might have something to do with Loki?"

"I am not sure sir, but it is a rather strange phenomenon."

That was for sure. Should they check it out? At worst it would just be a dead end…and it would give them all a chance to see sunlight again.

"Fine. Jarvis get the jet ready. The Avengers'll get to the bottom a this."

After Tony broke the news to the team Steve went into overdrive mode.

"This is it team. This is what we've been waiting for."

Natasha stood up and pulled her hair back. "Hold on Steve. There is a possibility this could be Loki, or it might not be. We can't just barge in an-"

"Widow look, we can sit around debating what to do and let Loki escape again, or we can go and stop him once and for all." Steve was so quick to judge. Jesus, how long had he been like this?

"And what if we're wrong? Then what? We'll bust into some shop and start a scene, which by the way is a crime."

She had a point. Hell, she always had a point.

"Doesn't matter. Once we get Loki everything'll get back to normal."

Had he even been paying attention?

"Capt, that still doesn't"

"Look, we can discuss it after we've checked out Tony's lead. Let's move out."

And that was the end of it. They grabbed whatever they thought would be necessary. Blasters, cuffs, and tracking devices that would locate Loki's signal if he tried to escape again. They crammed themselves into one of Tony's assault vehicles and sped down to the shop. Their mouths grew dry as the approached.

Thor looked at the window, and wrapped his hand around his hammer. He didn't really know what to feel. He was happy that his brother might still be with him, but…

"What if he's still as mad as he ever was?"

There was no traffic, there were no cars to ride against, no people to scream at, just an empty city.

"And here we are." Tony said as he got out of the car. "This is the place where Jarvis noticed the sudden upturn in business."

Natasha surveyed the place, its parking lot was pretty much filled with cars, if they hadn't known better, they probably would have thought it was a dealership.

"So…now what?" Clint asked.

"We go in there, find Loki and bring him out."

Natasha shook her head. "Alright, first, that makes no sense. We don't know if he's even in there, and if he is, we don't know what he'd look like." They had gone over this already. Multiple times. They couldn't just barge in like a bunch of vigilantes. A soft recon approach would be better.

"Natasha, please, we don't have time. We just don't." He had spoken…as if he were their king. "Thor, you'd be able to recognize Loki no matter what right?"

Thor nodded. "I would know him no matter what form he took."

Steve smiled. Excellent "Now, Avengers, let's go."

And with one swift push through the door, they found themselves on the inside of the shop.

It was amazing. Natasha couldn't remember the last time she had seen so many people in one place. Hell, it looked busier than Stark International. People were lined up from the front to the back.

"Damn," Clint said, "They must make some great stuff here."

"No archer, it's…" Thor lifted his face to the sky. "…there's something here. Something that no one has felt in so long a time."

Steve looked around, there were people…smiling. People laughing, as if they were all family.

"This is my brother's doing. He's here."

"W-wait…I don't get it, how? He has his magic back?" Tony asked as he scanned the room, there was still no trace of Loki's signal anywhere.

"No, but chaos goes with him where ever he goes. He may not even be aware of it himself, but it's there. We can all sense it."

"Oh hello." They hadn't realized it, but in no time, the line had shortened, and they were at the front.

"What?" Thor asked as he looked to the young man standing in front of them. His red hair almost glistened like armor.

"I haven't seen you guys before. Well, welcome to our shop. It's wonderful to have you here." He seemed so…familiar.

"L-loki?" Thor asked.

The young man looked around, confused. "Oh, I'm sorry, you must think I'm someone else." He rolled his eyes. "If I had a nickel for everytime that happened…anyway, what can I get you nice people?" He smiled.

That same smiled that Thor hadn't seen in so long. His brother.

"Brother…you're here." A smile began to cross his lips.

"I'm sorry, what?" Luke stepped back.

Steve walked up, he slipped his shield off of his back. "Loki, you need to come with us. Now."

Natasha looked around. The customers stopped chewing on their cake and looked to the front. She heard the whispers, she saw the stares.

"What the fuck do the Avengers think they're doing?"

"What gives Capt the right to talk to someone like that?"

Widow knew Steve heard it too. They all did. She placed her hand on Steve's shoulder. "Capt, maybe we should get out of here."

"No." He shrugged her off. "We've come too far. We've trained too long." He turned back to Luke. "Last time I'm gonna say this. You need to come with us. Now."

"Hey Capt!" Yelled one of the customers. "How about you make your purchase and leave the guy alone, huh?"

But he didn't hear it…or rather, he didn't want to.

"Loki!"

"Sir," Luke began to back away from the register. "I'm very sorry, but you must have me confused with someone else."

And like a serpent to its prey Steve shot his hand and grabbed onto Luke's jacket, and pulled him close. No chance of escape, not this time, not ever.

"You're coming with us."

And then it erupted.

Out of nowhere a plate of Carrot Cake went flying towards the good Captain's head. And then came the strawberry pie, and the iced tea (still in its glass), and the plastic forks. In no time the whole team was under attack.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"What gives you the right to barge in here and put your hands on someone? What you think because you saved the world you can do whatever the fuck ya' want."

"Capt, get yer filthy hands off a him."

Pastry rained down from every which way. There were screams, there were threats to call the police, there was cake everywhere.

"What now?" Tony asked. They couldn't fight these people, their job was to protect them.

"We leave." Natasha said. "Come on." And just as fast as they had entered, they left, leaving nothing but frosting and spilled pie in their wake.

Steve looked back to the store and, behind the closed doors, he heard cheering.


	22. Chapter 22

"Listen Luke, we don't want you going alone, alright?"

Luke's shift at the bakery was over, he had finished cleaning, and preparing for yeast for the next day's bread. He was tired, and he knew Leon must have been getting worried.

"Matt, I appreciate everything, but it's not a big deal. I can get home by myself." For some reason, The Avengers (or at least that's what everyone kept calling them) had marched into the store demanding that he come with them. Needless to say, it caused quite a stir. There were thrown pastries all over the floor, and spilled juice that made the tables sticky. Luke really wanted to appreciate the gesture of those patrons coming to his rescue…but then he promptly remembered he would be the person to clean up their "battle field" once the dust had settled.

And now, Matt wouldn't even let him out of the store without a babysitter.

"Luke I'm just saying, what if those creeps come back? What if they try to hurt you while you're alone? They've taken down aliens; an amnesia stricken cashier won't be too difficult for them."

Luke merely rolled his eyes. Lately Matt had been getting more and more worried. When Luke first arrived at this bakery, Matt thought he'd just be some kind of charity case. What was it the boss called him? A flake? But as time went on Matt couldn't help but smile at Luke's inability to see the negative side of anything. Once, Luke burned his finger against the oven, and he only smiled and said "Burns are good luck."

Who the fuck does that? Normal people would curse and then take the day off.

"Doesn't matter man, you're not walking home alone." Matt crossed his arms and smirked. "Now, I'll get my shit and then we'll go to your place. Hell, I may even sleep over."

Luke rolled his eyes, and then fought back a smile. Aside from Dr. Stewart, Matt was pretty much his only friend (well, his only friend that didn't need to use a litter box). Matt was always on Luke's back about going out, getting drunk, or just not being inside all day.

"Alright Luke, let's go."

The two walked through the doors just as the last beam of light slipped beneath the city.

"So, the Avengers kept calling you Loki? You got any clue about what that was?"

Luke shook his head. "I just assumed they thought I was someone else, I mean it does happen a lot. Just about every girl that walks into the store thinks we've met before…some of the guys too. It's gotten to the point where it's just normal."

Matt grunted. "Have you even been trying to regain your memory? I mean, aren't you at least curious?"

Luke shook his head. "No, I'm not. You're starting to sound like Stewart."

Wasn't simply being Luke enough? He never understood why people were so obsessed with who they were. What was the point of that anyway? He was Luke, and only Luke. Whoever he was before was gone. He was Luke…that was enough.

"Here we are Matt. Thanks for being my bodyguard but I think I've got it from here."

Matt only wrapped his arms around Luke's shoulder and said, "Forget it man, I'm stayin' the night. Open the door."

Somehow the apartment seemed smaller.

"Got any beer?" Matt asked as he opened the fridge.

"Dude, you know I do. You made me buy five cases the last time you were here."

Matt smirked. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Steve said as he walked into the tower, wiping the last bit of frosting from his face. All of that training, and they couldn't even take Loki in. "I can't believe this."

"I told you just barging in wouldn't yield the proper results." Natasha said as she wrung juice out of her hair.

"Then how are we supposed to deal with him? How do we get him to reverse this mess he's started?"

"Uh, Steve." Tony said as he walked over to the soldier. "I think we've got bigger problems. Jarvis, show him."

On cue a holoscreen appeared in front of the team.

"…the scene earlier today when the Avengers intrude into a bakery and tried to abduct a young man."

Steve's eyes widened at the news broadcast.

"The Avengers are now being held as criminals, and enemies of the state. Law enforcement is urging civilians to stay out of the conflict as the criminals are armed and dangerous, so please stay away. More news as it breaks."

…could this get any worse? Without even saying a word, the team assembled into the war room once again to assess the situation.

"Okay, just to recap, Loki has been spotted but we can't capture him, the police are up our butts, and now we're wanted criminals who everyone hates." Tony leaned back into his chair. "Did I miss anything?"

Natasha scoffed. "Only the part where even SHIELD can't help us now. The law is the law."

"Well, it's not like they can do anything right? I mean we're the Avengers, it's not like they can haul us off without a fight-"

"Which is exactly why we're still here and not locked up. Because people are too scared of us to do anything." Natasha finished. "But now everyone is going to be looking at us, so there's no way we can get close to Loki without someone sounding the alarm." Natasha shrugged her shoulders, they were right back to square one. If Captain had listened to her instead of flying off the handle they wouldn't be in the mess in the first place. Surprise was their greatest weapon and now they've lost it.

"Well, what now? Thor, any thoughts?" Tony asked.

Thor only shook his head. "My brother…" That was Loki, wasn't it? He could feel it…but, something was wrong…or rather, something was missing from him. "Brother, what have you done?"

"There's gotta be something we can do. Anything. Maybe if we just talk to him alone?"

"Come on now Tony, what exactly is that going to do?" Natasha asked, even she was having a difficult time trying to find a way out of this.

"We could invite him to Avengers tower, you know as a 'peace offering'."

Clint rolled his eyes. "And if he doesn't take the bait?"

Tony frowned "Well, we'll just have to be very very persistent is all. Anyway, while we were in the bakery I had Jarvis hack their computer records, and I've found where little Loki is hiding."

Steve shot from his chair "Then let-"

"Steve, I think you should sit this one out."

The room fell silent. What did Tony just say?

"Tony listen-"

"Look, you're too much of a liability, alright?" That was an understatement. "I think the best person to go check this guy out is Thor." Tony turned to the thunderer "That alright with you big guy?"

Thor nodded. "Y-yes. I shall see to it at once."

"Wait a minute." Natasha began, "You need to be discreet. Just knock on his door or something, try to win his trust and get him to come to Avengers' tower. Alright? Nice and easy."

Thor nodded. "I will see to it."


	23. Chapter 23

"My brother's dwelling is…here?" Thor stood before a raggedy door that could have been knocked down by the simplest push. He looked himself up and down, Lady Natasha had insisted he wear something…appropriate. Something that signified the visit was one of peace. A t-shirt that seemed too small for him, and blue jeans that hugged his legs. How could mortals wear such frivolities and expect to be taken seriously in battle? Even after all this time their ways were still strange to him.

But none of that mattered now.

He raised his hands to the door, and slightly…ever so slightly, rapped his knuckles against the door.

_Brother…please be there._

He waited. His mind flashed back to the other day, when he first laid eyes on his brother after all this time. He was…different. No sneer on his lips, no glint in his eye, no plan circling his mind like a vulture. Loki, are you well?

He heard voices coming from the other end of the door.

"I'll…hick…get it."

"Matt, no dude. Hold…come on get off me man."

"Lou, hold on man…I wanna."

"Just rest man."

Thor heard footsteps, and then a fresh palm against the door knob. He saw it turn and then, standing before him, was a young man with hair red as a pheonix's feather.

_Remember Thor_, he heard Lady Natasha's voice through his head, _we need to earn his trust, so try and dial back a bit. _

"Oh, hello." The young man smiled.

"Lo-," He stopped himself. "Uh…hello."

"You're that guy from the other day." Luke stepped back a little, as if he were afraid. "I'm really sorry about what happened. I've never seen our customers act that way."

Thor raised his hands, "Uh, no. You misunderstand my visit bro…friend." Thor looked down the wooden floor, that word sounded incorrect to him. "I come to make amends. Our behavior was…unbecoming."

"Oh," Luke smiled. "Don't worry about that…it's fine. Hey, why don't you come inside?" And with that Luke disappeared into his apartment.

Thor stood in the door way…just waiting. He was invited in was he not? So, why wouldn't his feet accept the invitation?

"Come on man, it's cool." Luke said from across the way.

…and Thor entered.

This was his brother's new home? The great god of mischief, the lord of chaos, the son of Odin? No, this was not befitting of his brother. Thor gazed to the mattress that held a sleeping man…the poor lad looked as if he had finished wrestling a frost giant.

"Oh, that's just Matt. Don't mind him, he had too much to drink last night." Luke stood next to Thor and handed him a drink, something the Midgardians called Lemonade.

"Many thanks bro-," he stopped himself again. "...friend."

"My friend told me about you. You're uh…Thor, right?" The young man's eyes widened "One of the Avengers?"

"Aye." Thor took a sip of his drink. Loki still had his wide sense of wonder, Thor could sense his brother's search for knowledge in this man. He almost smiled.

"Well, I'm Luke."

"Ho, Luke" Thor shrank into himself. When did his own brother become so…peaceful? Never had he seen Loki so…kind. "Again, I must apologize for the actions of my comrades. We did not mean-,"

"Don't worry about it. It's all in the past, right?" Luke leaned back onto his mattress. "What was it you called me? 'Brother'?" He chuckled. "They guys and I had a pretty good laugh at that."

_I am not your brother._ How many times had Loki said that since that madness had taken hold of him? Even in his own death did he still forsake Thor as his family?

"Aye, it's just that…you bare a striking resemblance to him…I just thought…"

"Oh, don't worry, I totally get it." Luke's smile faded. "Would you mind if I asked…what happened to him?"

The room grew silent. Not a sound could be heard, aside from Matt's steady breath.

"My brother and I…somehow we grew a part from each other. I do not know when or how, but somehow…we did. We became bitter enemies."

_I am not your brother…I never was._

"Then one day…he disappeared."

Loki had disappeared from Thor's life more times than he wished to remember. Falling from the Bifrost, advocating his role, and ultimately falling off of the very existence he so desperately sought.

And now Loki was right next to him.

But at the same time, Loki was still lost to them all.

"I'm very sorry to hear that Thor. You must miss him a lot."

"Aye, I do. But this is more than just about me. My brother has a duty he must fulfill for the good of us all. That, above all, is paramount."

Regardless of his feelings, his deep feelings, for his brother, the sake of all the realms must come first. "My comrades wish to make amends in person. Please come to the tower on the morrow."

"Uh…I've got work that day."

"Well, what of the day after?"

Luke looked towards his ceiling. "I could ask for some time off I guess..."

"Wonderful!" Thor forced a smile. "We shall await you!" Thor placed his glass on the floor and walked towards the door. "Thank you for your hospitality…"

Luke waved slightly and smiled. "Yeah, sure."

Thor walked through the door.

"Loki," Thor said as he walked across the hallways "I promised father I would bring you back. And that is an oath I must keep."


End file.
